pH-Sensitive Biogenic Silica-chitosan modified for Targeted Folic Acid delivery

Abstract

The drug loading onto silica derived from organic compounds satisfies the need for effective biocompatible carriers for sustained and targeted delivery. Silica is a naturally occurring material that is biocompatible and biodegradable. However, studies reveal silica nanoparticles' drug loading and release capabilities are uncontrolled and erratic. In this paper, biogenic silica (BS) was modified with chitosan to improve the loading and release capabilities in vitro. The BS was prepared by calcining for 4 hours at 600 ℃, and the modification was accomplished by immersing the BS in a chitosan solution overnight. The modified BS (BS-C) was characterised using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Folic acid loading and release studies were performed for the BS alone and the BS-C using UV-Vis spectrophotometry analysis at a wavelength of 285 nm. The folic acid loading was done at a pH of 9, and release studies were done at a pH of 7.24 and 10.40. Results from the comparative analysis of the BS and the BS-C showed improvements in drug adsorption efficiency of 29.79 and 73.96%, respectively, in a 2-hour period. Thus, the findings show the potential application of folic acid delivery in the small intestine.