Magnetite Microspheres for the Controlled Release of Rosmarinic Acid

Abstract

Since cancer incidence is constantly increasing, novel and more efficient treatment methods that overcome the current limitations of chemotherapy are continuously explored. In this context, the aim of the present study was to investigate the potential of two types of magnetite microspheres as drug delivery vehicles for the controlled release of rosmarinic acid (RA) in anticancer therapies. The magnetite microspheres were obtained through the solvothermal method by using polyethylene glycol (PEG) with two different molecular weights as the surfactant. The physicochemical characterization of the so-obtained drug delivery carriers involved X-ray diffraction (XRD) coupled with Rietveld refinement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential, and UV–Vis spectrophotometry. The magnetite-based anticancer agents were biologically evaluated through the ROS-Glo H2O2 and MTT assays. Results proved the formation of magnetite spheres with submicronic sizes and the effective RA loading and controlled release, while the biological assays demonstrated the anticancer potential of the present systems. Thus, this study successfully developed a promising drug delivery alternative based on magnetite that could be used in the continuous fight against cancer.

Zinc/Cerium-Substituted Magnetite Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

“…Results demonstrate that lower mono-substitution degrees increase the hydrodynamic diameter, with the highest value registered for the cerium-containing sample. Increasing the substitution degree leads to considerably reduced hydrodynamic diameters and more monodispersed size distributions [ 1 , 41 ]. However, the Ce 0.5 Zn 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 sample behaves oppositely, probably caused by the heterogenous substitution with the two types of ions.…”

“…The evaluation of oxidative stress induced by the zinc/cerium-substituted nanoparticles on the BHK cell line was made through the ROS-Glo assay (Promega, Madison, WI, United States) [ 1 ]. A total of 10 mg of each sample was dispersed in 200 µL cell suspension, followed by the addition of the cell medium until a final concentration of 5 mg/mL.…”

“…The cell viability was determined through the MTT assay on a HepG2 cell line [ 1 ]. All powders were UV-sterilized for 1 h. A total of 10 mg of each sample was dispersed in 200 µL cell suspension, followed by the addition of the cell medium until a final concentration of 5 mg/mL, and maintained for 24 h and 72 h. After removing the media, the cells were thoroughly washed with Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and incubated at 37 °C and 5% CO 2 in the absence of light for 2 h with a (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) solution.…”

“…Iron oxides are a group of naturally occurring materials with immense potential within the biomedical area owing to the iron component, which is an essential element within the organism [ 1 ]. Among them, magnetite nanoparticles are the first generation of clinically approved nanomaterials that have been intensively used for their superparamagnetic properties in novel and efficient biomedical applications [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”

“…Iron oxides are a group of naturally occurring materials with immense potential within the biomedical area owing to the iron component, which is an essential element within the organism [ 1 ]. Among them, magnetite nanoparticles are the first generation of clinically approved nanomaterials that have been intensively used for their superparamagnetic properties in novel and efficient biomedical applications [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Besides the possibility to adsorb and immobilize large quantities of bioactive compounds [ 1 ], magnetite nanoparticles are widely known for their intrinsic antioxidant [ 10 ], antimicrobial [ 11 ], and anticancer [ 12 ] properties, which can be potentiated through hyperthermia effects [ 11 ].…”