Characterization and Cytotoxicity Assessment of Synthesized Palladium (II) Complex-Encapsulated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment

Ayaat M Mosleh; Ahmed A El-Sherif; Anwar A El-Sayed; Heba M Fahmy

doi:10.1007/s12013-024-01273-1

Characterization and Cytotoxicity Assessment of Synthesized Palladium (II) Complex-Encapsulated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment

Cell Biochem Biophys. 2024 May 14. doi: 10.1007/s12013-024-01273-1. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ayaat M Mosleh¹, Ahmed A El-Sherif², Anwar A El-Sayed¹, Heba M Fahmy³

Affiliations

¹ Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
² Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
³ Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. hfahmy@sci.cu.edu.eg.

PMID: 38744782
DOI: 10.1007/s12013-024-01273-1

Abstract

The treatment of cancer often leads to a range of adverse effects. Encapsulating drugs can mitigate these effects and enhance drug efficacy by enabling a controlled release at the site of interest. This study details the successful synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) through the precipitation of Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O with KOH. A Pd(II) complex drug was synthesized from a Schiff base ligand derived from 2-hydroxybenzohydrazide and (E)-1-(2-(p-tolyl)hydrazono)propan-2-one using potassium tetrachloropalladate(II). This complex was subsequently incorporated into ZnONPs. Characterization of the resulting compounds was performed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Zeta Potential, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy. TEM imaging revealed particle sizes of 160.69 ± 4.74 nm for ZnONPs and 185.28 ± 2.3 nm for the Pd(II) complex-encapsulated ZnONPs. The Zeta potential values were 6.53 mV for ZnONPs and 7.36 mV for Pd(II) complex-encapsulated ZnONPs. UV-visible spectroscopy showed an absorption peak at 360 nm for ZnONPs, while the Pd(II) complex-encapsulated ZnONPs exhibited a peak at 410 nm. FTIR analysis indicated the presence of the Pd(II) complex within the ZnONPs, as evidenced by a consistent Zn-O vibrational band at 832 cm^-1 and a shift in another peak from 460 to 413 cm^-1. Additionally, the detection of a C = N stretching vibration at 1548 cm^-1 and a carbonyl stretch at 1626 cm^-1 was observed. The Encapsulation Efficiency (E.E.) of the Pd(II) complex was 97.2%. A drug release experiment conducted at pH 7 showed a steady-state release pattern after 16 h, with a cumulative release of 44.3%. The cytotoxic effects of the Pd(II) complex and its encapsulated form in ZnONPs on the MCF-7 cell line were assessed via MTT test. The Pd(II) complex encapsulated within ZnONPs exhibited decreased toxicity relative to the unencapsulated drug, as evidenced by a higher IC₅₀ value of 418.5 μg/ml. This suggests that the encapsulation facilitates a sustained release, which allows for targeted accumulation within cells. The elevated IC₅₀ value indicates that the drug delivery system may be engineered to modulate the release of the drug in a more controlled manner, potentially resulting in a prolonged release profile rather than an immediate therapeutic impact.

Keywords: Cytotoxicity assay; Drug encapsulation and release; MCF-7 cells; Pd(II) complex; Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnONPs).