Mesoporous silica as a support for poorly soluble drug

Mesoporous silica MCM-41, has been prepared through the sol-gel method followed by a chemical modification using 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTS) to obtain MCM-41-NH2 as a drug delivery carrier. The mesostructure properties was fully characterized by scaning electron microscope (SEM), N2 sorption isotherm, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). Loading of artesunate as models into MCM-41 and MCM-41-NH2 was studied using thermal gravimetery analysis (TGA) and UV-visible spectroscopy. Artesunate was loaded into silica matrix in the following two ways and compared amount of drug loading by TGA. The loading uptake and release behaviors of artesunate were dependent on the textural properties of MCM-41 and MCM--NH2. The release of drugs was carefully studied in different pH (7and7.4). First order, Higuchi, and Korsmeyer-Peppas release kinetic models were studied to the experimental data. The effect of mesopore and the Artesunate @mesopore drug deliveries on MCF-7human breast cancer cell line viability was evaluated. Hosts alone revealed no toxicity to MCF-7 cancer cells. Importantly, Artesunate @ mesopore exhibit an inhibition of cell viability when compared to the non-encapsulated drug.