Drug-loaded poly (ε-caprolactone)/Fe3O4 composite microspheres for magnetic resonance imaging and controlled drug delivery

• Published in: Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials 2018-06, Vol.456, p.316-323
• Main Authors: Wang, Guangshuo, Zhao, Dexing, Li, Nannan, Wang, Xuehan, Ma, Yingying
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Composite microspheres; Doxorubicin hydrochloride; Drug delivery; Fe3O4; Magnetic resonance imaging; Poly (ε-caprolactone)
• ISSN: 0304-8853
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2018.02.053

•Drug-loaded poly (ε-caprolactone)/Fe3O4 composite microspheres were sucessfully prepared.•Microspheres had dual features of magnetic resonance imaging and controlled drug delivery.•Concentration-dependent T2-weighted enhancement effect was observed.•Drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were 36.7% and 25.8%, respectively.•Drug release behavior were well satisfied with the biphase kinetics function. In this study, poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) microspheres loading magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and anti-cancer drug of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) were successfully prepared by a modified solvent-evaporation method. The obtained magnetic composite microspheres exhibited dual features of magnetic resonance imaging and controlled drug delivery. The morphology, structure, thermal behavior and magnetic properties of the drug-loaded magnetic microspheres were investigated in detail by SEM, XRD, DSC and SQUID. The obtained composite microspheres showed superparamagnetic behavior and T2-weighted enhancement effect. The drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, releasing behavior and in vitro cytotoxicity of the drug-loaded composite microspheres were systematically investigated. It was found that the values of drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were 36.7% and 25.8%, respectively. The composite microspheres were sensitive to pH and released in a sustained way, and both the release curves under various pH conditions (4.0 and 7.4) were well satisfied with the biphase kinetics function. In addition, the magnetic response of the drug-loaded microspheres was studied and the results showed that the composite microspheres had a good magnetic stability and strong targeting ability.