Multifunctional Cyclodextrin–PEG–folate-coated Ytterbium Ferrite– hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles for pH-sensitive Anticancer Drug Delivery

Abstract

This work is centered on the formulation of a magnetic, targeted drug delivery system using cyclodextrin–polyethylene glycol–folate (CD-PEG-fol) polymer-coated hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles with incorporated ytterbium ferrite/ytterbium iron nanoparticles for targeted camptothecin delivery. Yb-Fer-HAp nanoparticles synthesized via a hydrothermal method were then surfacecoated with CD-PEG-fol polymer. The nanocomposites were characterized in terms of their physicochemical properties through X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements. This study systematically studied the camptothecin loading, pH-responsive drug release, and in vitro anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The drug adsorption percentage of 92.5 ± 4.5 and the drug loading content of 3.2 ± 0.6 percent. The in vitro drug release from the nanoparticles extends over several hours, indicating the requisite for acting as a sustained releasing agent. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the camptothecin-loaded nanoparticles was investigated. T Synthesized nanoparticles had 8-10 nm size with superparamagnetic properties. The nanocarrier had a high camptothecin adsorption efficiency (92.5 ± 4.5%) and drug loading content (3.2 ± 0.6%). pH-sensitive release behavior was exhibited, with 48 h cumulative drug release reaching a total of 73% (pH 6.8) vs. 65% (pH 7.4). The camptothecin-loaded nanocarrier demonstrated high dose-dependent cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells, with an effective IC50 value of 17.50 μg/mL compared to the free drug. The Yb content in the Fer-HAp core also contributes greatly to its improved anticancer performance, with a synergistic cooperation including magnetic Yb–Fer-HAp core, β-cyclodextrinassisted drug encapsulation, PEG-mediated colloidal stability, and folate-assisted cellular targeting. This study presented the design and development of a biocompatible multifunctional nanoplatform for targeted on-demand anticancer drug delivery. The excellent magnetic properties, high drug-loading efficiency, pH-responsiveness release profile, and improved cytotoxic activity indicates their prospective application in cancer nanotherapeutics..