Synthesis, Characterization and Biocompatibility Evaluation of Metal Oxides-Carbon Nanomaterials Nanocomposites for Doxorubicin delivery

Abstract

Leukemia continues to pose a significant health challenge with an escalating incidence worldwide. Effective drug delivery mechanisms are pivotal for successful leukemia treatment, with nanotechnology pioneering ground-breaking advancements in this field. Carbon based Nanomaterials have exhibited promising potential in leukemia theragnostic. Our research focused on synthesizing Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and Multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using chemical methods, followed by their ex-situ doping with Zinc oxide (ZnO) and Copper oxide (CuO) Nanoparticles. These Metal Oxides-Carbon nanomaterial nanocomposites were then conjugated with the widely used chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin, to evaluate the efficiency of drug delivery. Comprehensive characterization employing UV/VIS, SEM, XRD, and FTIR analyses confirmed the successful synthesis of Metal Oxides-Carbon nanomaterial nanocomposites. Morphologically, the synthesized Metallic oxide nanoparticles exhibited a spherical shape with a size ranging between 75-130 nm. Biocompatibility of bare nanoparticles and nanocomposites were assessed through hemolysis and MTT assays which revealed their potential for diverse biomedical applications. The hemolytic assay showed that coated ZnO-MWCNTs and ZnO-RGO nanocomposites showed least hemolysis with a percentage of 3.83% and 3.44% as compared to the bare ones. The cytotoxicity assay, specifically with the RGO/ZnO exhibits the highest cell viability ranging from 91% at 0.5 μg/ml to 82% at 4 μg/ml—indicating it only enhancing the drug activity but also optimizing drug delivery by working as an efficient carrier. This enhancement in cytotoxicity, substantiated by specific performance metrics, highlighted the superior performance of the ZnO-RGO nanocomposite. In considering the clinical implications, the findings suggest a transformative role for these nanocomposites in leukemia treatment, offering targeted and sustained drug delivery, with translational aspects that could redefine therapeutic interventions.