The synthesis process or composition of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) affects the physicochemical properties. Using these properties, MSNs were synthesized through the Box-Behnken design (BBD) among statistical experimental methods. The effect of the amounts of synthetic reagents, hexadecyl triethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), and 2 N sodium hydroxide (NaOH), was studied using the reaction surface design. Surface area, particle size, and zeta potential were set as response values. The physicochemical properties of the optimized MSNs were evaluated, and the effect as a drug delivery system was evaluated by loading doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). Nano-sized MSNs were successfully prepared with 0.617 g of CTAB, 8.417 mL of TEOS, and 2.726 mL of 2 N NaOH and showed excellent physicochemical properties. The optimized MSNs showed negligible toxicity in MCF-7 cells. The drug release profile from DOX-loaded MSNs (MSN@DOX) showed an increased rate of release with decreasing pH of the medium, with the release profile sustained for 48 h. In the cytotoxicity test, the sustained drug release mechanism of MSN@DOX was confirmed. This study proposed a new statistical approach to the synthesis of MSNs.
Keywords: Box–Behnken design; design of experiment; doxorubicin; mesoporous silica nanoparticles; optimization.