Nanoclay Montmorillonite-Cross-linked Starch as an Efficient Tool for the Controlled Release of Doxorubicin to Cancerous Cells

Design and synthesis of novel carriers with properties for controlled release of drugs is an aim for reducing the side effects of the medicines. In this paper, a novel hydrogel is fabricated based on nanoclay montmorillonite-crosslinked starch for the controlled delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) to cancerous cells. The hydrogel is fabricated by the functionalization of starch with methyl methacrylate monomers, followed by cross-linking with methylene bisacrylamide by using nanoclay montmorillonite additive. The composite is characterized by several characterization techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. After the characterization of nanoclay montmorillonite-crosslinked starch nanocomposite, the fabricated hydrogel was evaluated in the delivery of DOX to the cancerous cells. After loading DOX into the hydrogel, the release profile of the drug was obtained in PBS buffer (pH = 7.4). Hemolysis studies proved the compatibility of the hydrogel in red blood cells. Cytotoxicity of DOX-loaded hydrogel was studied against T47D and LNCap cell lines. Cytotoxicity studies showed the activity and applicability of nanoclay montmorillonite-crosslinked starch composite for delivery purposes.