Cisplatin delivery, anticancer and antibacterial properties of Fe/SBA-16/ZIF-8 nanocomposite

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.