Synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicity assay of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles coated with quercetin-loaded polyelectrolyte multilayers

We evaluated the cytotoxicity effect of polyelectrolyte-quercetin (PMQ)-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3) on human ovarian carcinoma cell line (A2780). The gamma-Fe2O3@shell (PMQ) was obtained by synthesizing magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) by chemical co-precipitation and covering it through layer-by-layer (LbL) technique with two different systems of polyelectrolytes: (i) cationic polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and anionic polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) as a synthetic system, and (ii) cationic chitosan (CHI) and anionic carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as a biopolymer (natural) system. Before using the layer-by-layer technique, quercetin with a negative charge was added to the cationic polyelectrolyte (PAH or CHI) solution, forming a positively charged complex. The nanoparticle size, morphology, and structural, optical, and magnetic properties were analyzed by DLS, TEM, XRD, FTIR, and vibrating sample magnetometer, respectively. Otherwise, the experimental results of TGA and zeta-potential suggest that the layer-by-layer technique is a feasible way to encapsulate quercetin with high efficiency: 64.7% in the PSS/PAH (synthetic polyelectrolytes) and 87.7% in the CMC/CHI (natural polyelectrolytes). The MNPs@PSS/PAH and MNPs@CMC/CHI systems showed no cytotoxicity; however, when quercetin was loaded in the system, we observed a statistically significant reduction in the viability of the human ovarian carcinoma cell line (A2780), though their cytotoxicity was less efficient compared with the high cytotoxicity showed with the quercetin alone. Our results indicated that the reduction in cell viability depends on the number of layers of polyelectrolytes. These systems can potentially be drug carriers for targeted cancer chemotherapy.

Automated summary

We examined the cytotoxicity of polyelectrolyte-quercetin-coated iron oxide nanoparticles on human ovarian carcinoma cells. The nanoparticles were synthesized using chemical co-precipitation and coated with polyelectrolytes using layer-by-layer technique. We observed a significant reduction in cell viability when quercetin was loaded in the system, indicating its potential as a drug carrier for cancer chemotherapy.