Development of graphene oxide nanoscrolls imparted nano-delivery system for the sustained release of gallic acid

Chemotherapy, the most popular and easiest medication, has remained as much widely used therapy for cancer treatment. Despite the availability of numerous anticancer drugs and chemical chemotherapeutic agents, the uninhibited delivery and inadequacy to differentiate between fast-growing normal cells and cancer cells result in destructive side effects over their utilization for cancer therapeutics. The major challenges related to effective and sustainable consumption of chemotherapeutic agents can be subsided with a targeted drug delivery system (DDS) directed by the advanced nanomaterials (nanocarriers) and the use of natural chemotherapeutic agents such as gallic acid (GA). In the present work, one-dimensional (1D) graphene oxide nanoscrolls (GONS) were fabricated from graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets via low-frequency ultrasonication. The obtained spirally wounded GONS nanocarriers were further loaded with GA at different compositions, temperatures, and pH of the media. The 1D nano-morphology, surface chemistry, and structure of GONS, GONS-GA nanocomposite were further investigated via TEM, FESEM, FTIR, XRD, EDX, Raman spectroscopy, and zeta-potential analysis. In addition, an in vitro study was conducted for the drug loading and release behavior at physiological pH conditions to understand the GA loading mechanism, thermodynamics, and release kinetics. The presented structural and morphological modification of GO into 1D GONS was favorable for a significant improvement in the loading and release behavior of GA for cancer therapeutics. The cytotoxicity studies of GONS-GA nanocomposites demonstrated higher toxicity for lung cancer cell lines (A549) without showing perceptible cytotoxicity for normal cell lines (HEK293), which advocates GONS as a suitable nanocarrier for the DDS.