Abstract
Nanoformulation involving biocompatible MOFs and magnetic nanocarriers is an emerging multifunctional platform for drug delivery and tumor imaging in targeted cancer therapeutics. In this study, a nanocomposite has been developed comprising Fe/SBA-16 and ZIF-8 (Fe/S-16/ZIF-8) through ultrasonication. The drug delivery of cisplatin was studied using an automated diffusion cell system equipped with a flow type Franz cell. The anticancer activity of Fe/S-16/ZIF-8 was studied
in vitro
in MCF-7, HeLa cells and Human Foreskin Fibroblast (HFF-1) cells. XRD and
d
-spacing measurements of Fe/S-16/ZIF-8 using TEM revealed the presence of cubic-structured Fe
3
O
4
, γ-Fe
2
O
4
(magnetite), and α-FeOOH (goethite) over an SBA-16/ZIF-8 nanocomposite. The composite showed a surface area of 365 m
2
g
−1
, a pore size of 8.3 nm and a pore volume of 0.33 cm
3
g
−1
. VSM analysis of Fe/S-16/ZIF-8 showed that it possessed paramagnetic behavior with a saturated magnetization value of 2.39 emu g
−1
. The Fe
2+
/Fe
3+
coordination environment was characterized using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The cisplatin drug delivery study clearly showed the synergistic effects present in Fe/S-16/ZIF-8 with over 75% of cisplatin release as compared to that of Fe/S-16 and ZIF-8, which showed 56% and 7.5%, respectively. The morphology analysis of CP/Fe/SBA-16/ZIF-8 using TEM showed an effective transit of nanoparticles into MCF-7 cells. The lethal concentration (LC
50
) of Fe/SBA-16/ZIF-8 for MCF-7 and HeLa cells is 0.119 mg mL
−1
and 0.028 mg mL
−1
at 24 h, respectively. For HFF-1 cells, the LC
50
is 0.016 mg mL
−1
. The antibiofilm activity of Fe/SBA-16/ZIF-8 was investigated against biofilm-forming strains of drug resistant
P. aeruginosa
and MRSA by a microtiter tissue culture plate assay. Overall, nanosized ZIF-8 with a bioactive alkaloid imidazole inside the 3D cage type of SBA-16 pores is found to exhibit both anticancer and antibacterial properties. A Fe/S-16/ZIF-8 composite could be effectively used as a drug and drug delivery system against cancer and promote antibacterial activity.