Design of a Polymer-grafted Graphene Oxide Based Drug Delivery System for Curcumin: Optimization Using RSM and Cytotoxicity study

In the present research, cellulose-conjugated graphene oxide (CCG) was prepared, and its efficiency as a targeted carrier was explored for loading curcumin, an anti-cancer drug. The structural and surface properties of CCG were examined by FESEM, BET, and FTIR techniques. Response surface method (RSM) with the central composite design was employed to optimize the effective parameters, such as pH, contact time, and initial drug concentration, on the drug adsorption on the composite. The central composite design results indicated that a second-order equation can properly fit the experimental data with a coefficient of determination of 0.9845 and p < 0.0001. The maximum adsorption (70%) was achieved at pH = 6, contact time of 60 min, and initial concentration of 20 mg L−1. The drug release from the CUR@CCG nanocarrier at pH = 5.6 was significantly higher than pH = 7.4, demonstrating the effectiveness of the system in the cancer cell environment. The MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of CUR, CCG, and CUR@CCG on two cell lines, including normal (MCF 10A) and breast cancer (MDA-MB 231). The cytotoxicity of CUR@CCG at a concentration of 96 μg mL−1 for 24 h on MDA-MB 231 was almost 45%, slightly lower than free CUR (50%). Based on these results, the CCG bio-nanocomposite can be utilized as a biocompatible nanocarrier for targeted delivery of the CUR anti-cancer agent.