Alginate stabilized gold nanoparticle as multidrug carrier: Evaluation of cellular interactions and hemolytic potential

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers 2016-01, Vol.136, p.71-80
• Main Authors: Dey, Soma, Sherly, M. Caroline Diana, Rekha, M.R., Sreenivasan, K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alginate; Alginates - chemistry; Animals; Biological Transport; Confocal laser scanning microscopy; Curcumin; Curcumin - chemistry; Drug Carriers - chemistry; Drug Carriers - metabolism; Drug Carriers - pharmacokinetics; Drug Carriers - toxicity; Drug Stability; Glucuronic Acid - chemistry; Gold - chemistry; Gold - metabolism; Gold - pharmacokinetics; Gold - toxicity; Gold nanoparticles; Hemolysis - drug effects; Hexuronic Acids - chemistry; Humans; MCF-7 Cells; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; Methotrexate; Methotrexate - chemistry; Polymer–drug conjugates; Rats
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.09.016

Gold nanoparticles generated through green route carrying dual drugs exterminate cancer cells more effectively. •Dual drug conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were created by green synthetic route.•AuNPs synthesized by alginate–curcumin (Alg–Ccm) conjugate in aqueous medium.•Methotrexate (MTX) was then anchored to Alg–Ccm AuNPs in aqueous buffer solution.•MTX conjugated Alg–Ccm AuNPs exhibited improved cytotoxicity.•Active targeting of carriers was qualitatively proved by fluorescence microscopy. This work delineates the synthesis of curcumin (Ccm) and methotrexate (MTX) conjugated biopolymer stabilized AuNPs (MP@Alg–Ccm AuNPs). The dual drug conjugated nano-vector was characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR and UV–vis spectroscopic techniques. Hydrodynamic diameter and surface charge of the AuNPs were determined by DLS analysis and the spherical particles were visualized by TEM. MP@Alg–Ccm AuNPs exhibited improved cytotoxic potential against C6 glioma and MCF-7 cancer cell lines and was found to be highly hemocompatible. MP@Alg–Ccm AuNPs also exhibited active targeting efficiency against MCF-7 cancer cells due to the presence of “antifolate” drug MTX. Thus MP@Alg–Ccm AuNPs may find potential application in targeted combination chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer. The study is also interesting from the synthetic point of view because, here generation of AuNPs was done using “green chemical” alginate and dual drug conjugated AuNPs were created in two simple reaction steps using “green solvent” water.