Investigation of biochemi̇cal activity potential of emodin-loaded mesoporous silica materials in human osteosarcoma cell line (SAOS-2)

Targeted and controlled delivery of chemotherapeutic agents is critical for overcoming the systemic toxicity and limited efficacy associated with conventional treatments. In this context, nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery systems offer strong potential for more effective delivery of therapeutics to cancer cells. Among these systems, mesoporous silica nanomaterials (MSNMs)—exemplified by SBA-15—stand out due to their large specific surface area, well-ordered and tunable pore architecture, high biocompatibility, and facile surface functionalization. In this thesis, SBA-15 nanomaterials were synthesized and their surfaces were functionalized with primary, secondary, and tertiary amine groups. The resulting structures were characterized by SEM, TEM, FTIR, nitrogen adsorption–desorption (BET specific surface area), and BJH pore-size distribution analyses. Subsequently, the natural anticancer agent emodin was loaded onto the nanoparticles; drug-loading efficiency and controlled-release profiles were evaluated under neutral and acidic pH conditions. Pristine SBA-15, its amine-functionalized derivatives, free emodin, and emodin-loaded nanoparticles were tested in human osteosarcoma (Saos-2) and healthy endothelial (HUVEC) cell lines following 24, 48, and 72 h incubations. Biological responses were examined using the MTT cell-viability assay, morphological observations, and indicators of apoptotic response. The highest loading efficiency was obtained with the primary-amine formulation. In release studies, the secondary-amine formulation exhibited comparatively higher release at both pH values, whereas pristine SBA-15 showed the lowest release. In cell culture, the primary- and secondary-amine formulations produced pronounced antiproliferative effects in Saos-2 cells, while the tertiary-amine formulation displayed a more controlled/balanced toxicity profile. In HUVEC cells, the tertiary- and primary-amine formulations showed lower toxicity. Overall, the findings indicate that appropriate surface modifications can enhance the antitumor activity of emodin while attenuating undesired effects on healthy cells. Amine-functionalized SBA-15–based mesoporous silica nanocarriers therefore represent a promising platform for the targeted and comparatively safer delivery of natural anticancer agents.