Loading and Release of the Anti-Inflammatory Drug Lornoxicam Implementing Modified Mesoporous Silica KIT-5 Nanoparticles

Orally administered lornoxicam (LOX) requires relatively high doses to maintain its healing ability. The increased administration frequency could lead to adverse effects such as gastrointestinal damage, skin irritation, headache, and nausea, and in severe cases, it can lead to renal failure. Drug encapsulation onto mesoporous silica nanoparticles can be used to circumvent these challenges. This study synthesized the mesoporous silica nanoparticle KIT-5 and modified it with amine groups to form KIT5-NH₂ as a carrier for LOX drug delivery. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, N₂ adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The loading efficiency was examined by studying the impact of carrier dosage, pH, LOX concentration, and contact time. In addition, the drug release was investigated using simulated fluids at pH 1.2 and pH 7.4. The results revealed a significant enhancement in LOX loading efficiency with KIT5-NH₂, reaching a maximum of 58.53%, while no loading was observed with pure KIT-5. The adsorption process followed Langmuir isotherms, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 25.87 mg/g, and the adsorption kinetics of LOX was well described by a pseudo-second-order model. Regarding drug release, the maximum release rate of LOX was 56.43% at pH 7.4 over 360 min, whereas a lower release rate of 39.15% was observed at pH 1.2. In addition, kinetic release models indicated that the release process is governed by the Fickian diffusion mechanism. Lastly, the cytotoxicity study showed that the synthesized formulation has no toxic effects and demonstrates good biocompatibility.