The potential of PEGylated BaMnO3 nanoparticles as drug delivery agents

Abstract

Nanoparticles are extensively used as efficient drug carriers in various biological studies. PEGylated barium manganate powder consisting of nanoparticles was synthesized using a hydrothermal technique. The nanoparticle morphology of the powder was confirmed via scanning electron microscopy. The average diameter of the nanoparticles was ~90 nm. The x-ray diffraction pattern revealed that these nanoparticles consisted of single phase polycrystalline 2H-BaMnO3. The PEGylated BaMnO3 nanoparticles were loaded with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) to evaluate their drug carrying potential. The toxicity of these nanoparticles was tested against the Hep2c cell line and found to be suitable for biological applications. It was seen that the drug uptake was a million times higher in the case of encapsulation compared to a conventional drug delivery system. This new formulation may find extensive use in nanomedicine as a multidrug delivery system.