On-Demand Release of Drug from Magnetic Nanoparticle-Loaded Alginate Beads

Targeted delivery and controlled release of drugs has been considered to be an important therapeutic approach since it could allow a better treatment efficiency and less side effects. In this research, magnetite Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via the coprecipitation method and then loaded in alginate beads with berberine as a drug model for drug release application. Various factors such as pH values of the suspended environment and surface modifications of the drug carrier could be exploited to adjust the amount of drug release. More importantly, the amount of drug release could be effectively controlled by an on-off switching operation of a static magnetic field.