Solvent-Assisted [(Glycine)-(MP-SiO < inf > 2 < /inf > NPs)] Aggregate for Drug Loading and Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Herein, the amino-acid based glycine (Gly) solubility in different solvents (ethanol, pyridine, and n-hexane) exhibited striking interlocking behavior with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MP-SiO2NPs) has been reported and discussed in detail. The synthesis of MP-SiO2NPs carried out employing the modified Stober's ‘Sol-Gel’ method. The yielded MP-SiO2NPs size ranges from ∼20–80 nm, with an average particle size of ca. 36 nm. The morphology of Gly bound with MP-SiO2NPs was analyzed through electron microscopic imaging (SEM, TEM), followed by characterizations (BET, PXRD, DSC, TGA, EDAX) in various solvents. Interestingly, Gly dissolved in particular solvents demonstrated remarkable binding and interlocking properties with the well-dispersed MP-SiO2NPs to form a foamy surface. The developed [(Gly)-(MPSiO2NPs)] based aggregate is stable at room temperature (∼25 °C). Further, developed [(Gly)-(MP-SiO2NPs)] aggregate used to load the anticancer drug (DOX) and it shows ∼80 % loading efficacy. Whereas, the DOX release from [(Gly)-(MP-SiO2NPs)] is calculated as ∼59 % after 24 hr. The designed nanoformulation [(Gly)-(MP-SiO2NPs)] aggregate along with DOX shows significant inhibition (i. e. 74 %) on K562 (chronic myeloid leukemia) blood cancer cells. Such low-density foamy materials are believed to be utilized in industrial and pharmaceutical applications.