Surface modification and biological evaluation of kojic acid/silica nanoparticles as platforms for biomedical systems

Abstract

AbstractKojic acid (KA), an important compound with medical, cosmetic, and industrial applications, was loaded in 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane‐functionalized silica nanoparticle (MSNAPTES‐KA5). This nanoparticle with acid was prepared to evaluate its application as a drug delivery system due to its interesting characteristic as large surface area, high pore volume, and good biocompatibility. The samples were characterized using different techniques that demonstrate success in the functionalization and loading process, as can be seen from the results obtained by FTIR, XPS, TGA, and CHN, that confirmed the presence of APTES and KA in the nanoparticles. KA drug loading was estimated using UV‐Vis, TGA, and CHN, which revealed 12% loading of KA in the nanoparticles that showed slow rate of release. Antimicrobial assay was performed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the samples against different microorganisms. The results showed greater MSNAPTES‐KA5 antibacterial activity than free‐kojic acid for Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus. In relation to the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition assay; a higher inhibition of MSNAPTES‐KA5, than the inhibition with free‐kojic acid was observed. In addition, MSNAPTES‐KA5 sample was also effective in inhibiting tyrosinase, proving the efficiency of the MSNAPTES base. These studies afford evidence of the possible beneficial biological activities of MSNAPTES‐KA5 nanoparticle in pharmaceutical applications.