Mesoporous silica nanostructure modified with azo gatekeepers for colon targeted delivery of 5‐fluorouracil
Fatemeh Farjadian, Maryam Moghadam, Mohammad Monfared, Soliman Mohammadi‐Samani
Abstract
Abstract In this study, amino‐functionalized mesoporous silica (MS) particles were synthesized and loaded with the anticancer drug, 5‐Fu. In a post‐modification reaction, the pores were gated by an azobenzene derivative to act as an enzyme‐responsive drug delivery system. The synthesis and characterization of the MS structure were validated using various instrumental techniques such as XRD, N 2 adsorption/desorption, and FE‐SEM and TEM. The loading efficiency and capacity of 5‐Fu adsorption onto MS were evaluated; the adsorption isotherm graphs were plotted. The enzyme responsiveness feature of this nanocarrier was tested in the 5‐Fu release study. The 5‐Fu release from MS and the azo‐capped compound was measured, and when sodium dithionite was used as a reducing agent and an azoreductase enzyme mimicker, the controlled release was observed. Finally, the cytotoxicity of 5‐Fu loaded and azo‐capped MS in normal medium and sodium dithionate‐containing medium was evaluated and compared with the cytotoxicity of the free drug.