Plant-Based Calcium Fructoborate as Boron-Carrying Nanoparticles for Neutron Cancer Therapy

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an effective clinical method in cancer treatment based on fission reactions and nuclear capturing. In this method, use of the best boron-containing agents for boron therapy and boron delivery agent for transfer to the infectious site are the key points for efficienct treatment. Our research indicated that calcium fructoborate(CF) was the best compound as a boron-containing agent for boron therapy. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that liposomes can selectively and effectively deliver large quantities of boron to cells and that the compounds delivered by liposomes have a longer cell retention time. Indeed, liposomal encapsulation technology of CF as nanostructured liposome carriers (NLCs) was extensively evaluated due to the ability of these nano-vehicles for the delivery of boron compounds. In this work, the molecular composition of the CF used as a carrier supplement for cancer therapy is deeply investigated. FTIR, XRD, TG, DSC and Raman spectroscopic analyses were used for the characterization of the carrier. The experimental measurements agreed very well with the molecular formula of Ca[(C6H10O6)2B]24H2O.