• Arshad, Muhammad
• Khan, Asif Jamal
• Safi, Sher Zaman
• Muhammad, Nawshad
• Sama, Zaib Us
• Gilani, Mazhar Amjad
• Alobaid, Hussah M.
• Rehman, Fozia
• Rahim, Abdur
• Emran, Talha Bin
• Ali, Abid
• Guo, Jiahua

Abstract

<jats:p><jats:bold>Introduction:</jats:bold> Drug delivery systems are the topmost priority to increase drug safety and efficacy. In this study, hybrid porous silicates SBA-15 and its derivatives SBA@N and SBA@3N were synthesized and loaded with an anticancer drug, 5-fluorouracil. The drug release was studied in a simulated physiological environment.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Method:</jats:bold> These materials were characterized for their textural and physio-chemical properties by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAX), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption techniques. The surface electrostatics of the materials was measured by zeta potential.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results:</jats:bold> The drug loading efficiency of the prepared hybrid materials was about 10%. <jats:italic>In vitro</jats:italic> drug release profiles were obtained in simulated fluids. Slow drug release kinetics was observed for SBA@3N, which released 7.5% of the entrapped drug in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, pH 7.2) and 33% in simulated body fluid (SBF, pH 7.2) for 72 h. The material SBA@N presented an initial burst release of 13% in simulated intestinal fluid and 32.6% in simulated gastric fluid (SGF, pH 1.2), while about 70% of the drug was released within the next 72 h. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have also supported the slow drug release from the SBA@3N material. The release mechanism of the drug from the prepared carriers was studied by first-order, second-order, Korsmeyer–Peppas, Hixson–Crowell, and Higuchi kinetic models. The drug release from these carriers follows Fickian diffusion and zero-order kinetics in SGF and SBF, whereas first-order, non-Fickian diffusion, and case-II transport were observed in SIF.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Discussion:</jats:bold> Based on these findings, the proposed synthesized hybrid materials may be suggested as a potential drug delivery system for anti-cancer drugs such as 5-fluorouracil.</jats:p>

Topics

• porous
• density
• surface
• scanning electron microscopy
• theory
• Nitrogen
• density functional theory
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy
• Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
• small-angle X-ray diffraction