Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@CeO₂ as a Potential Nanomagnetic Carrier for Oral Delivery System and Release of Celecoxib

In this study, an attempt was made to synthesize, characterize, and develop many applications of functionalized rare metal oxide nanoparticles. Herein, a new strategy for drug delivery is developed to functionalize magnetite nanoparticles to improve their performances in the delivery of celecoxib.

Magnetite Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles are synthesized by the sol-gel method. The surface of the hydroxyl groups was extended by treating with cerium nitrate salt; finally, sodium hydroxide was anchored to the surface hydroxyl groups to produce cerium oxidefunctionalized Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@CeO₂ magnetic nanoparticles (FSC). The synthesized sample was characterized by FT-IR, FESEM, VSM, TGA, and XRD. Afterward, the functionalized nanoparticles were examined in the delivery of celecoxib as an active drug model involving cerium oxide and hydroxyl functional groups.

For this purpose, the amount of loading/release of the drug was investigated in different amounts of nanocomposite and pH values.

The results of the present investigation indicate that the formulations (m_FSC=5 mg, pH=3.3) can be considered as best among various formulations with respect to particle size, entrapment efficiency, and in-vitro successful drug release.