Bimetallic ZIF nanoplatform for pH-responsive curcumin delivery: synthesis, characterization, and in vitro evaluation

The exploration of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-based nanoplatforms for drug delivery has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this study, a bimetallic ZIF (BZIF) containing Zn and Co was synthesized through a simple one-pot approach under mild conditions. The formation of BZIF was confirmed through comprehensive physicochemical characterization. Curcumin (CUR) was subsequently loaded onto BZIF to obtain the CBZIF nanoplatform. CBZIF exhibited pH-responsive CUR release, with cumulative release reaching 78.19% at pH 5.5 compared with 44.25% at pH 7.4 after 72 h. In vitro studies demonstrated that CBZIF maintained favorable biocompatibility toward normal L929 cells while exhibiting enhanced anticancer activity against C26 cancer cells compared with free CUR and pristine BZIF. Overall, these findings suggest that CBZIF is a promising nanoplatform for pH-responsive CUR delivery and provide a basis for further investigation of its potential biomedical applications.