ZIF-8 as a promising drug delivery system for benznidazole: development, characterization, in vitro dialysis release and cytotoxicity

• Published in: Scientific reports 2020-10, Vol.10 (1), p.16815, Article 16815
• Main Authors: de Moura Ferraz, Leslie Raphael, Tabosa, Alinne Élida Gonçalves Alves, da Silva Nascimento, Débora Dolores Souza, Ferreira, Aline Silva, de Albuquerque Wanderley Sales, Victor, Silva, José Yago Rodrigues, Júnior, Severino Alves, Rolim, Larissa Araújo, de Souza Pereira, Jorge José, Rolim-Neto, Pedro José
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/154/152; 639/301/357/404; 639/925/930/1032; 639/925/930/12; 692/308/153; 692/699/255; 692/699/255/1715; Dialysis; Drug Carriers; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Imidazoles; multidisciplinary; Nitroimidazoles - administration & dosage; Nitroimidazoles - adverse effects; Nitroimidazoles - pharmacokinetics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Trypanocidal Agents - administration & dosage; Trypanocidal Agents - adverse effects; Trypanocidal Agents - pharmacokinetics; Zeolites
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73848-w

Chagas disease (CD), caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi , is one of the major public health problems in developing countries. Benznidazole (BNZ) is the only drug available for CD treatment in most countries, however, it presents high toxicity and low bioavailability. To address these problems this study used Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8), which has garnered considerable attention due to its potential applications, enabling the controlled delivery of drugs. The present work developed and characterized a BNZ@ZIF-8 system, and the modulation of BNZ release from the ZIF-8 framework was evaluated through the in vitro dialysis release method under sink conditions at different pH values. Moreover, the in vitro evaluation of cell viability and cytotoxicity by MTT assay were also performed. The dissolution studies corroborated that a pH sensitive Drug Delivery System capable of vectorizing the release of BNZ was developed, may leading to the improvement in the bioavailability of BNZ. The MTT assay showed that no statistically significant toxic effects occurred in the developed system, nor significant effects on cell viability.