Solid-State Formation of a Potential Melphalan Delivery Nanosystem Based on β-Cyclodextrin and Silver Nanoparticles

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Melphalan (Mel) is an antineoplastic drug with limited efficacy due to poor solubility, rapid hydrolysis, and non-specificity.
• Beta-cyclodextrin (βCD) can enhance drug solubility and stability.
• Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) offer unique properties for drug delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel nanocarrier system for melphalan (Mel) using β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs).
• To characterize the physicochemical properties of the βCD-Mel-AgNPs complex.
• To evaluate the in vitro permeability and potential of the nanosystem for cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

• Formation of a βCD-Mel complex followed by deposition of AgNPs via magnetron sputtering.
• Characterization using techniques to determine loading capacity, association constant, and degree of solubilization.
• Analysis of nanoparticle size, dissolution properties, and in vitro permeability assays.

Main Results:

• The βCD-Mel-AgNPs system demonstrated a loading capacity of 27% and an association constant of 625 M⁻¹.
• Solid-state AgNPs averaged 15 ± 3 nm, stabilized by Mel's functional groups.
• Dissolution yielded a colloidal solution with a hydrodynamic diameter of 116 nm and enhanced Mel permeability.

Conclusions:

• The developed βCD-Mel-AgNPs nanosystem effectively enhances melphalan's solubility, stability, and permeability.
• This novel nanocarrier shows significant promise for improving melphalan's therapeutic performance in cancer treatment.
• Further research is warranted to explore its full potential in preclinical and clinical cancer therapy.