Synthesis and characterization of chitosan-poly(vinyl alcohol)-Fe3O4 bio-nanocomposite carriers for the controlled release of the anticancer drug mitomycin C

The rapid development of nanotechnology has also increased the interest in magnetic nanoparticles all over the world. Magnetite and Fe3O4 magnetic ultrafine powders are used especially for targeted drug delivery systems for many cancer treatments. In our study, firstly, magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by the co-precipitation method, and these nanoparticles were incorporated into the chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA) polymer system. MMC-loaded CS/PVA-Fe3O4 nanocomposite microspheres were obtained by the emulsion crosslinking method using glutaraldehyde (GA) as a crosslinker for targeted and controlled release of the anticancer drug mitomycin C (MMC). ATR-assisted Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the synthesized Fe3O4 nanoparticles and nanocomposite microspheres. The effects of the CS/PVA (m/m) ratio, MMC percentage (m/m), GA amount, pH, and Fe3O4 nanoparticle percentage on the entrapment efficiency of nanocomposite microspheres and MMC release from microspheres were investigated. In addition, the equilibrium swelling degrees of microspheres without MMC were found in the pH environments where the release was made, and the effect of swelling on the release was investigated. It was observed that pH affected the swelling results of nanocomposite microspheres and thus the release, and MMC release at pH 1.2 was slightly faster than that at pH 7.4 phosphate buffer medium. Considering the MMC release, entrapment efficiency, and microsphere diameter, the optimum microsphere formulations were found to be B7 formulation nanocomposite microspheres with a CS/PVA ratio of 3/1, MMC percentage of 10%, GA amount of 6.5 mL, and Fe3O4 percentage of 10%. As a result, the prepared nanocomposite microspheres may be a potential candidate for the controlled and targeted release of MMC used as a chemotherapeutic drug in the treatment of some cancers.