Potentiating the anti-cancer profile of tamoxifen-loaded graphene using deep eutectic solvents as functionalizing agents
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2020
Abstract
Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are an alternative to conventional functionalizing agents. These neoteric functionalizing agents have been reported to improve the dispersibility and biocompatibility of graphene in the cellular environment. DES-functionalized graphene also has significantly greater tamoxifen (TAM)-loading capacity than non-functionalized graphene. Therefore, this study investigated the anti-cancer properties of TAM-loaded graphene against cancerous cells. TAM-loaded, DES-functionalized graphene showed a significant increase in anti-cancer activity, especially in the case of DES ChCl:fructose (2:1), as validated by cell viability, reactive oxygen species, and cell cycle progression assays. The cytotoxicity profile of TAM-loaded graphene against cancerous cells was confirmed by real-time cell growth analysis. Across all tested cellular kinetic models, the most significant reduction in the growth rate constant of cancerous cells was obtained using graphene functionalized with DES ChCl:fructose (2:1). All told, DES-functionalized graphene demonstrated improved anti-cancer activity compared to non-functionalized graphene. © 2019, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.
Keywords
Drug delivery, Ionic liquid, Nanomedicine, Nanotechnology, Reactive oxygen species, Superoxide ion
Divisions
fac_eng,fac_med
Funders
University of Malaya Grant No. IIRG010C-2019,Malaysian Toray Science Foundation (MTSF)
Publication Title
Applied Nanoscience
Volume
10
Issue
1
Publisher
Springer Verlag