Silica coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles - Performance Evaluation for Drug Delivery Applications

Silica coated superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONPS) have plenty of applications in biomedical engineering particularly drug delivery systems due to their unique efficiency and very negligible side effects. SPIONPS was synthesized rapidly using an aqueous fruit extract of Ficus carica. Single step green biosynthetic method was adapted to prepare SPIONPS in an environmentally friendly approach. The synthesized SPIONPS was subjected to different analytical studies. Results observed from UV-Visible spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the formation of iron oxide nanoparticle. Further, the vibrating sample magnetometer confirms the paramagnetic character of the prepared sample. Particle size and scanning electron microscope analysis validate the formation of the nanoparticle. The antioxidant activity and phytochemical analysis of fruit extract and SPIONPS were analyzed to explore the presence of biomolecules, which are responsible for the reduction and stabilization of SPIONPS. In addition to the excellent superparamagnetic properties of SPIONPS are antibacterial activity against E.coli and B.stearothermophilus species. The biocompatibility of SPIONPS with the HepG-2 cell line shows its potential usefulness in drug delivery applications.