Abstract
This study presents the design of novel composites nanogels, based on poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate and natural zeolite particles, that are able to act as materials with controlled drug delivery properties. Natural zeolite–nanogels composite, with varying zeolite contents, were obtained by an inverse mini-emulsion technique and loaded with 5-fluorouracil, a widely used chemotherapeutic drug. Herein, the possibility of adjusting final properties by means of modifying the preparation conditions was investigated. The prepared composite nanogels are characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In light of this tunable drug-loading capability, swelling behaviour, and cytotoxicity, these composite nanogels could be highly attractive as drug reservoirs.
Highlights
The application of nanotechnology in the pharmaceutical field is focused on developing proper therapeutic agents, composed mainly of existing medicines and their carriers
Knowing that the zeolite was loaded from a DMSO solution, the analysis of an equivalent amount of 5-FU dissolved in DMSO and lyophilized under the same conditions was necessary to confirm that the redshift is not due to interactions between the 5-FU and the residual solvent (DMSO)
The study focused on developing new composite NGs based on cross-linked PEGDA and natural zeolites (NZ) loaded with 5FU, as a bioactive substance used in cancer treatment
Summary
The application of nanotechnology in the pharmaceutical field is focused on developing proper therapeutic agents, composed mainly of existing medicines and their carriers. The need for designing such systems as an alternative cancer therapy arises from the drawbacks of administering the native medicine directly. These issues are related to the low solubility of the drugs, toxicity to healthy tissue, inefficient penetration of biological barriers, or in vivo instability, all of which can drastically limit the successful use of the drugs [1,2]. Nanocarriers are nanocolloids able to transport biologically active compounds, including low-molecular-weight compounds or biomacromolecules, such as genes or proteins [3,4] They can consist of polymer-conjugated systems, polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), lipid-based carriers (liposomes, micelles), dendrimers, carbon nanotubes, or inorganic NPs (gold, zeolites, silica, etc.).
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