pH-Responsive Magnetic Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Decorated with Iron Oxide and ZnO Nanoparticles for Targeted Curcumin Delivery: Preparation, Characterization, and Biocompatibility Evaluation

Curcumin is a hydrophobic polyphenol with potent anticancer and antioxidant properties; however, its clinical application is severely limited by its poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability. In this study, a novel pH-responsive magnetic nanocomposite (rGO/I/Z), composed of reduced graphene oxide decorated with iron oxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles, was successfully synthesized through hydrothermal and co-precipitation methods. The resulting nanocarrier was comprehensively characterized by TEM (average size ۱۶۰ ± ۲۰ nm), XRD, BET, FT-IR, VSM, and EDS analyses, confirming a mesoporous superparamagnetic structure with a saturation magnetization of ۶۳ emu/g and a specific surface area of ۲۵۲.۱۳ m²/g. Curcumin was successfully loaded onto the nanocomposite with an encapsulation efficiency of ۷۶ ± ۳% and a drug loading content of ۱۵ ± ۱%. In vitro release studies demonstrated a clear pH-dependent release behavior, with significantly higher cumulative drug release at acidic pH ۵.۵ (۵۸%) than at physiological pH ۷.۴ (۴۵%). Biocompatibility evaluation, including hemolysis, MTT assays using normal human fibroblasts (HFF۲) and human breast cancer cells (MCF-۷), and mitochondrial oxidative stress analyses, showed excellent hemocompatibility and favorable cytocompatibility of the unloaded nanocarrier, while the curcumin-loaded nanocomposite exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity toward MCF-۷ cells compared with HFF۲ cells. Furthermore, the nanocomposite exhibited a transverse relaxivity (r₂) of ۱۴.۸۶ m/M. s, indicating its potential as a T₂-weighted MRI contrast agent. Overall, the multifunctional rGO/I/Z platform integrates magnetic responsiveness, pH-responsive drug release, and imaging capability within a single nanocarrier, highlighting its promise as a theranostic platform for targeted curcumin delivery in cancer therapy.

کلیدواژه ها:

Iron oxide ، Zinc oxide ، Synthesis ، Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power ، Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)