Production of new cellulose nanocrystals from Ferula gummosa and their use in medical applications via investigation of their biodistribution

Abstract

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have recently gained an increasing interest in nanomedicine. The production of CNCs from Ferula gummosa (Fg) by acid hydrolysis are a potential source for nano-medical applications. It has been affirmed by the performed Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis that in the course of chemical treatment, the non-cellulosic components have been gradually eradicated, while the final achieved materials had been comprised of cellulose. A strong increase has been perceived in the crystallinity subsequent to performing the hydrolysis and bleaching treatments. In regards to thermal stability, the obtained CNCs have displayed a remarkable sign of high thermal stability. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been found that the CNCs have contained a spherical shape at the nano-scale. In the case of cell viability, the MTT (3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay has not revealed any noticeable cytotoxic effect against the A549 cells. The CNCs have been labeled through the utilization of Tc-99m and have confirmed the stability of radiolabeled CNCs at room temperature for different times. The labeling efficiency has been observed to be more than 97%. Biodistribution profile and imaging have verified that the accumulation of 99mTc-CNCs has been higher in kidneys and had been circulating in the blood. The results indicated that it is possible to convert a low-cost byproduct such as roots plants into a valuable material such as cellulose nanocrystals, which are known as promising candidates to be applied for bioimaging and diagnostic.