ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

An experimental research on pH-responsive amino acid-coated Ni_(1−x)Co_xFe₂O₄ nanoparticles as a nano-carrier for drug delivery and biological applications

Faten Eshrati Yeganeh, Mohammad Yousefi, Malak Hekmati, and Maryam Bikhof

Department of Chemistry, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

E-mail: ffyeganeh@gmail.com

Received: 4 March 2021  Accepted: 29 June 2021

Abstract:

Methionine-coated Ni_(1−x)Co_xFe₂O₄ nanoparticles could be an ideal candidate for drug delivery due to its drug loading capacity and its high biocompatibility. In the present study, the amount of Tetracycline loading was 0.33 mg in 1 mg of carrier. The in vitro release studies demonstrated a gradual drug release up to 120 h. The drug release at pH-5 (71.01%) was higher than pH-7.4 (19.56%). It was efficiently loaded on the carrier and tested on the Melanoma cancer cell line (A375) and HFF normal cell. Furthermore, the antibacterial properties of Tetracycline-loaded carrier were investigated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. A significant improvement was observed in the antibacterial efficiency in a way that MIC against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively, dropped from 42.75 μg/ml and 85.5 μg/ml (free drug) to 21.38 μg/ml (drug loaded on carrier).

Graphic abstract

Keywords: Nanocarriers; Tetracycline; Ni(1−x)CoxFe2O4 nanoparticles; Methionine; Cytotoxicity; Antibacterial

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-021-01766-w

Chemical Papers 75 (11) 6047–6057 (2021)