Rutin-Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Molecular Docking, Physicochemistry and Cytotoxicity in Fibroblasts
Conrado Neto, Felipe de Assis Rocha Lima, Renata Pinho Morais, Lucas de Andrade, Renata de Lima, Marco V. Chaud, Matheus M. Pereira, Ricardo de Albuquerque Júnior, Juliana Cordeiro Cardoso, Aleksandra Zielińska, Eliana B. Souto, Álvaro Silva Lima, Patrícia Severino
Abstract
Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) have been functionalized with rutin through three steps (i. reaction step; ii. purification step; iii. drying step) and their physicochemical properties investigated with respect to morphological structure, thermal analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and cytotoxicity. The molecular docking suggested the rutin-functionalized MWCNT occurred by hydrogen bonds, which was confirmed by FTIR assays, corroborating the results obtained by thermal analyses. A tubular shape, arranged in a three-dimensional structure, could be observed. Mild cytotoxicity observed in 3T3 fibroblasts suggested a dose-effect relationship after exposure. These findings suggest the formation of aggregates of filamentous structures on the cells favoring the cell penetration.