Preparation of Nanodiamond-Fucoxanthin and Its Application as a Nanodrug Delivery System

Nanodiamonds (NDs) are advantageous for targeted cancer treatment with payload medications due to their good biocompatibility. Herein, a nanodrug delivery system, ND-fucoxanthin (ND-FX), was generated by combining FX and acyl chloride-functionalized NDs, which were created by dispersing and surface-modifying NDs. The structure and characteristics of NDs were examined via X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Subsequently, the drug-loading and -release rates of ND-FX under different pH conditions were calculated using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometeric analysis. The drug-loading rate of the ND-FX system was 13.17 %; release rate of FX at pH 7.4 and 6.5 was 27.79 % and 54.65 %, respectively; and cumulative release rate of ND-FX reached 79.98 % over a release duration of 72 h at pH 5.0. Meanwhile, in vitro cytotoxicology experiments demonstrated that ND-FX effectively inhibited the activity of HeLa and HepG2 cells. These results demonstrate the potential value of NDs in the field of nanodrug delivery applications.

Automated summary

Nanodiamonds (NDs) were combined with FX to create a nanodrug delivery system, ND-fucoxanthin (ND-FX). ND-FX exhibited high drug-loading and release rates under different pH conditions and effectively inhibited the activity of HeLa and HepG2 cells. These results demonstrate the potential value of NDs in the field of nanodrug delivery applications.