Green synthesis of cobalt ferrite and Mn doped cobalt ferrite nanoparticles: Anticancer, antidiabetic and antibacterial studies

Abstract

Background: CoFe₂O₄ are important magnetic NPs with high coercivity and moderate magnetization. These properties of CoFe₂O₄ NPs show variation when doped with various metals. Recent studies explained that Cobalt ferrites doped with metal ion like Mn⁺², have attracted increasing attention in many applications, particularly in biomedical applications. A relatively simple way is employing plants and their extracts as precursors instead of toxic chemicals to produce NPs with desirable characteristic. In current study we report green synthesis and characterization of magnetic (CoFe₂O₄, MnCoFe₂O₄, CoFe₂O₄@S.C, MnCoFe₂O₄@S.C) nanoparticles using ethanolic extract of Swertia Chirata. To enhance application as biocompatible magnetic nano drug delivery vector and cell targeting efficacy of drugs, Glimepiride (GLM), Dexamethasone (DXM), Fexofenadine (FEX) and Levofloxacin (LVX) 1were loaded on synthesized NPs. Synthesized CFNPs has been broadly characterized and applied for in vitro anticancer, antidiabetic and antibacterial potential.

Methods: For synthesis of CoFe₂O₄ (CF), CoMnFe₂O₄ (CFM), CoFe₂O₄@S.C (SCF) & CoMnFe₂O₄ @S.C (SCFM), stochiometric amounts 5 mmol of CoCl₂·6 H₂O (0.284 g) and 10 mmol FeCl₃·6 H₂O (0.378 g) were dissolved in 13 mL of deionized water. To this sodium acetate (3.05 g) and urea (0.6 g) were added until complete dissolution. Afterward n-heptane was added, and contents were then transferred to Teflon lining autoclave at 180 °C for 4 h. Black powder CoFe₂O₄ NPs after washing, were dried and calcined at 450 oC for 2 h.

Results: XRD diffractogram of CF have proved the single-phase cubic spinel structure formation for all samples. Swertia Chirata formulations were shown to have effective in vitro antidiabetic activity. CF, CFM & SCFM showed good inhibition of α-glucosidase with very low concentration 6 µg/mL, 5 µg/mL and 4 µg/mL as compare to 12.41 µg/mL of acarbose. SCF showed that the value slightly higher than 16 µg/mL compared to standard. Drug loaded CFNPs (L-CFNPs, F-CFNPs, D-CFNPs & G-CFNPs) also effectively inhibited α-glucosidase. IC50 value for CFNPs inhibition of α-glucosidase was 12.4 µg/mL. All synthesized CF NPs showed cytotoxic potential against breast cancer cells MCF-7. About 50-60% cell viability and cytotoxicity 40% were observed for bare CFNPs as compare to Doxorubicin with related toxicity 80% and 20% cell viability. Among synthesized samples almost all samples without conjugation of any drug showed activities against at least one bacterial strain. CFM, SCF, SCFM were active against S. aureus at concentration 100 µg/mL, 100 µg/mL, and 50 µg/mL respectively.

Conclusion: The synthesized CF NPs showed significant cytotoxic potential against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Further, drug loaded samples displayed lesser cell viability and slightly increased cytotoxicity in range of 40-50% in comparison with bare CFNPs. However, higher toxicity was observed for CFMGS towards MCF-7 cells with results nearly equal to Doxorubicin with significant decrease in viability. CF, CFM & SCFM showed good inhibition of α-glucosidase with very low concentration 6 µg/mL, 5 µg/mL and 4 µg/mL as compare to 12.41 µg/mL of acarbose. Among synthesized samples almost all samples without conjugation of any drug showed activities against at least one bacterial strain.

Keywords: Antibacterial; Anticancer; Antidiabetic; Cobalt ferrite; Doping; Green synthesis.