Drug delivery by micro and meso metal-organic frameworks

Abstract

Three metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), HKUST-1, MIL-53(Al) and MIL-101(Cr) were synthesized and applied as carriers for Thymol loading. The MOFs and designed drug delivery systems were characterized by scanning electron microscope, N2 sorption isotherm, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared. Thymol was incorporated by high pressure method into hosts. The amount of encapsulated drug could be calculated using thermogravimetric analysis. The release profile of drug was recorded in buffer media and two pHs (6.9 and7.4) by reading the absorbance of solution in λmax. Higuchi and first order release kinetic models were applied to the experimental data. Then, the effect of MOFs and designed drug delivery systems on human breast and lung cancer cell lines viability was evaluated. In studied weight range٬ the hosts alone revealed no toxicity to cell lines. But, Thymol encapsulated into MOFs indicated more inhibition of cell livability, when compared to the non-encapsulated drug. Among of applied hosts, MIL-53 shows not only high loading capacity but also controlled release. In addition, the inhibition of cell livability is more notably in lung cancer cell line.