ROS-Responsive Chitosan Coated Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Potential Vehicles for Targeted Drug Delivery in Cancer Therapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cancer cells accumulate high concentrations of reactive oxygen species as a result of their faster and uninhibited metabolic activity. Cancer chemotherapeutic agents release an excess of severe adverse reactions as a result of targeting normal cells. This demands an improvement in targeted drug-delivery systems to selectively discharge anticancer drugs in the vicinity of such highly metabolically and mitotically active cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here, magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by a traditional co-precipitation technique. Fe3O4@OA-CS-5-FLU-NPs were synthesized by an easy and rapid in situ loading method. The proposed Fe3O4@OA-CS-5-FLU-NPs were productively prepared as well as characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic studies. RESULTS: The targeted drug release profile of the Fe3O4@OA-CS-5-FLU-NPs was studied in the presence of ROS including H2O2 and pH induction. The released product, Fe3O4@OA-CS-5-FLU-NP, exhibited desirable levels of cytotoxicity and demonstrated morphological changes and inhibition of colony formation for A549 and HeLa S3 cancer cells. The IC50 values at 24 hours were 12.9 and 23 µg/mL, respectively. CONCLUSION: In summary, results from the MTT assay, fluorescence staining as well as colony formation assays, revealed that the Fe3O4@OA-CS-5-FLU-NPs were active and safe for anticancer biomedical applications. In summary, the present investigation provides a powerful nanostructured based system for improved cancer theranostics that should be further studied.

Bidentate Schiff Base Ligands Appended Metal(II) Complexes as Probes of DNA and Plasma Protein: In Silico Molecular Modelling Studies.

HL1 and HL2 (HL1 = 5-diethylamino-2-({[4-(diethylamino)phenyl]imino}methyl)-phenol; HL2 = 5-diethylamino-2-({[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]imino}methyl)-phenol) are new Schiff base ligands which were prepared along with their metal(II) complexes of [Cu(L1)2] (1), [Cu(L1)2] (2), [Ni(L2)2] (3) and [Ni(L2)2] (4) and characterized by different analytical as well as spectroscopic analyses. The single crystal XRD analysis confirms the proposed structure of ligands such as HL1 and HL2. EPR spectral analysis gives evidence about the tetrahedrally coordinated geometry of complexes 1 and 2. Density functional theory (DFT) analysis was executed using B3LYP/6-31G(d,p)∪LanL2DZ level. The DNA sequence (along with Dickerson's sequence) specificity of complexes 1-4 was evaluated and it has resulted that the complexes 1-4 primarily interact with double helix of DNA via groove mode of binding. From plasma protein docking results, we can say that complexes 2 and 4 showed more binding towards HSA and may have good bioavailability and are prone to act as drug candidates. The observed findings show that these metal(II) complexes 1-4 are better DNA probes, will act as anticancer agents and stimulate strong research focusing on the design of new chemical probes of DNA.

Biological Impacts of Metal(II) Complex-Based DNA Probes Derived from Bidentate N,O Donor Schiff Base Ligand.

In this article, we have reported the preparation and structural characterization of a new Schiff base ligand (E)-2-(((2,6-difluorophenyl)imino)methyl)phenol (HSBL) and its derived metal(II) complexes [Cu(SBL)2] (1), [Ni(SBL)2] (2) and [Pd(SBL)2] (3). Using various analytical and spectroscopic techniques, their structural properties have been appraised. The proposed chemical structure of HSBL has been confirmed by Single crystal XRD studies. Bidentate characteristic of HSBL and its coordination with metal(II) ions through the oxygen atom of the phenolic group and nitrogen atom of the azomethine group have been evaluated from the FT-IR spectral analysis. Pd(II) complex of HSBL (complex 3) has found to be efficient in bringing about the interaction with DNA as well as BSA molecules. The in vitro antimicrobial studies have been demonstrated that complex 3 has a superior antimicrobial activity than HSBL, complexes 1 and 2. According to the values of zone of inhibition, the antimicrobial ability has been increased in the order of 3 > 1 > 2 > HSBL. A significant decrease in percent cell viability has been suggested that complex 3 has remarkable cytotoxicity (IC50 = 15.7 ± 0.6 µg/mL) on human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. Besides, their induced apoptosis pathway of cytotoxicity has been demonstrated by fluorescence staining techniques using AO/EB staining method. We hope this article will be very helpful for future research on the development of new anticancer agents.

Iron oxide nanoparticle core-shell magnetic microspheres: Applications toward targeted drug delivery.

This study describes a sensitive reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive lecithin (LEC) incorporated iron oxide nanoparticle (Fe3O4 NP) system with potent anti-inflammatory properties and even more so when the antioxidant drug curcumin (CUR) is encapsulated in the PLGA hybrid magnetic microsphere system (Fe3O4@LEC-CUR-PLGA-MMS). The delivery system is responsive to ROS including an H2O2 environment to release the payload (CUR) drug. Greater cytotoxicity properties were observed in the presence of Fe3O4@LEC-CUR-PLGA-MMS against A549 and HeLa S3 cells with IC50 values after 24 h of 10 and 12 µg/mL and 10 and 20 µg/mL, respectively. The present Fe3O4@LEC-CUR-PLGA-MMS system demonstrated much better in vitro cytotoxicity, cellular morphological changes and moreover an ability to limit colony formation for A549 and HeLa S3 cancer cell lines than non-cancerous cells, and thus, should be further studied for a wide range of medical applications.

Crystal structure, optical properties, DFT analysis of new morpholine based Schiff base ligands and their copper(II) complexes: DNA, protein docking analyses, antibacterial study and anticancer evaluation.

New morpholine derived Schiff base ligands (HL1 and HL2) and their Cu(II) complexes [Cu(L1)2] (1) and [Cu(L2)2] (2) have been synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, IR, UV-Vis, EPR studies and cyclic voltammetric analyses. Single crystal X-ray crystallography studies confirm the structure of newly synthesized Schiff base ligands HL1and HL2. The ground state electronic structures of Cu(II) complexes 1 and 2 have been investigated by DFT/B3LYP theoretical analysis with 6-31G (d,p) and LANL2DZ basis set. The affinity towards DNA and protein molecules have been evaluated using computational docking analysis and complex 2 expose significant binding ability with DNA as well as protein due to its towering hydrophobicity. Consequently, complex 2 reveals superior antibacterial activity against some bacterial species besides anticancer activity on human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells than complex 1 and Schiff base ligands (HL1 and HL2). These preliminary investigations strongly recommended that complex 2 can be used as a better antibacterial plus anticancer agent.

A theranostic nanocomposite system based on iron oxide-drug nanocages for targeted magnetic field responsive chemotherapy.

In this work, a theranostic nanocage system was developed for the targeted delivery of the anti-cancer agents camptothecin (CPT) and luotonin A (LuA). The core of the nanocage system (Fe3O4@OA-AD-SP NCs) was formed by biogenically synthesized Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) decorated with a model anti-cancer drug (AD) and biosurfactant saponin (SP). The Fe3O4@OA-AD-SP NCs showed a high lipophilic AD loading efficiency (>80%) and a controlled pH-responsive drug release in stimulated cancerous cells in pH 6.4 media buffer. In addition, Fe3O4@OA-AD-SP NCs exhibited better serum protein binding efficacy at physiological pH values (7.4), furthering the important role of SP surface decoration. Particularly, these NCs showed better chemotherapeutic efficacy when examined in MCF-7 and HeLa cancer cell lines with a specific targeting capacity. Therefore, this study provides a new nano platform based on magnetic targeting and pH responsive lipophilic anticancer drug delivery to the cancer site.

Natural alkaloid Luotonin A and its affixed acceptor molecules: Serum albumin binding studies.

Effective interaction of natural alkaloid Luotonin A (L) and its affixed acceptor molecules 1 and 2 with donor molecule as Bovine serum albumin (BSA) at various pH (4.0, 7.4 and 10.0) medium have been demonstrated using various conventional spectroscopic techniques. These analyses provide some valuable features on the interaction between BSA and acceptor molecules (L, 1 and 2). From the absorption and fluorescence spectral titration studies, the formation of ground-state complexes between the acceptor molecules (L, 1 and 2) and the BSA have been confirmed. The results of the afore titrations analysis reveal that, the strong binding of receptor 1 with BSA (Kapp 5.68×104M-1; KSV 1.86×106Lmol-1; Ka 6.42×105Lmol-1; Kass 8.09×106M-1; ΔG -33.35kJ/mol) at physiological pH medium (7.4) than other receptor molecules 2 and L. The Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency between the tryptophan (Trp) residues of BSA and acceptor molecules L, 1 and 2 during the interaction, are 28.85, 85.24 and 53.25 % respectively. The superior binding efficacy of acceptor 1 at physiological pH condition has been further confirmed by FT-IR and Raman spectral analysis methods. Moreover, theoretical docking studies of acceptors L, 1 and 2 towards HSA have been demonstrated to differentiate their binding behaviours. It reveals that, acceptor 1 has the strongest binding ability with HSA through two hydrogen bonding and the Atomic contact energy (ACE) value of -483.96kcal/mol.

Analytical methods to determine the comparative DNA binding studies of curcumin-Cu(II) complexes.

DNA interaction studies of two mononuclear [1:1(1); 1:2(2)] copper(II) complexes of curcumin have been studied. The interaction of these complexes with CT-DNA has been explored by physical methods to propose modes of DNA binding of the complexes. Absorption spectral titrations of complex 1 with CT-DNA shows a red-shift of 3 nm with the DNA binding affinity of K(b), 5.21×10(4)M(-1) that are higher than that obtained for 2 (red-shift, 2 nm; K(b), 1.73×10(4)M(-1)) reveal that the binding occurs in grooves as a result of the interaction is via exterior phosphates. The CD spectra of these Cu(II) complexes show a red shift of 3-10nm in the positive band with increase in intensities. This spectral change of induced CD due to the hydrophobic interaction of copper complexes with DNA is the characteristic of B to A conformational change. The EB displacement assay also reveals the same trend as observed in UV-Vis spectral titration. The addition of complexes 1 and 2 to the DNA bound ethidium bromide (EB) solutions causes an obvious reduction in emission intensities indicating that these complexes competitively bind to DNA with EB. The positive shift of both the E(pc) and E(0)' accompanied by reduction of peak currents in differential pulse voltammogram (DPV), upon adding different concentrations of DNA to the metal complexes, are obviously in favor of strong binding to DNA. The super coiled plasmid pUC18 DNA cleavage ability of Cu(II) complexes in the presence of reducing agent reveals the single strand DNA cleavage (ssDNA) is observed. The hydroxyl radical (HO()) and the singlet oxygen are believed to be the reactive species responsible for the cleavage.