Drug targeting to arthritic region via folic acid appended surface-engineered multi-walled carbon nanotubes

• Published in: Journal of drug targeting 2016-04, Vol.24 (4), p.318-327
• Main Authors: Kayat, Jitendra, Mehra, Neelesh Kumar, Gajbhiye, Virendra, Jain, Narendra Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antirheumatic Agents - administration & dosage; Antirheumatic Agents - pharmacokinetics; Antirheumatic Agents - therapeutic use; Arthritic region; Arthritis, Experimental - drug therapy; Arthritis, Experimental - metabolism; Drug Carriers - chemistry; Drug Liberation; folate; Folic Acid - chemistry; Hindlimb - drug effects; Hindlimb - metabolism; Joints - drug effects; Joints - metabolism; Male; methotrexate; Methotrexate - administration & dosage; Methotrexate - pharmacokinetics; Methotrexate - therapeutic use; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; multi-walled carbon nanotube; Nanotechnology; Nanotubes, Carbon - chemistry; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Surface Properties; targeting; Tissue Distribution
• ISSN: 1061-186X; 1029-2330
• DOI: 10.3109/1061186X.2015.1077846

This study was aimed at developing and investigating folate anchored carbon nanotubes for targeting an anti-arthritic drug, Methotrexate (MTX) to inflammatory arthritic region. The folic acid (FA) was conjugated to amidated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 1 H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The MTX was loaded into the pristine and functionalized-MWCNTs and extensively characterized in vitro and in vivo studies. The drug entrapment efficiency was found high in folate conjugated MWCNTs. In vitro drug release in PBS (pH 7.4) from pristine MWCNTs and folate conjugated MWCNTs formulation was found to be 66.35 ± 2.3 and 56.88 ± 1.9% in 24 h, respectively. Folate conjugated MWCNTs significantly increased (p