Insight into the loading, release, and anticancer properties of cellulose/zeolite-A as an enhanced delivery structure for oxaliplatin chemotherapy; characterization and mechanism

Cellulose fibers/zeolite-A biocomposite (CF/Z) was synthesized as a carrier of oxaliplatin drug (OXPL) of enhanced loading, release, and chemotherapy effect. The functionalization of zeolite-A with cellulose fibers induced significantly the OXPL encapsulation capacity (197 mg/g (Zeolite-A) and 458.7 mg/g (CF/Z)). The OXPL encapsulation behavior of CF/Z composite follows the kinetic and isotherm of Pseudo-First order and Langmuir models. The steric parameters of the evaluated advanced equilibrium model demonstrate enrichment of CF/Z composite in the active site's density (285.7 mg/g) as compared to zeolite-A (109.03 mg/g). The OXPL encapsulation energy (-10.3 kJ/mol) and number of encapsulated OXPL ions per site (n = 1.6) reflect the encapsulation of one or two ions per site by types of physical and multi-ionic mechanisms (<40 kJ/mol). The OXPL release profile of CF/Z composite displays slow, continuous, and controlled properties as compared to ZA either within the acetate buffer (110 h) or phosphate buffer (150 h). The fitting of the OXPL release with the kinetic assumptions of Higuchi, Hixson-Crowell, and Korsmeyer-Peppas models demonstrates release mechanisms involving erosion and diffusion processes. The cytotoxicity studies demonstrate significant anticancer activity of CF/Z on colorectal cancer cells (HCT-116) and a strong impact in enhancing the cytotoxic effect of the encapsulated OXPL drug. [GRAPHICS] .

Automated summary

This study successfully synthesized a cellulose fibers/zeolite-A biocomposite that enhances the loading, release, and chemotherapy effect of oxaliplatin. The composite showed promising encapsulation capacity and slow, controlled release of the drug, and exhibited significant anticancer activity on colorectal cancer cells.