Folate-decorated chitosan/doxorubicin poly(butyl)cyanoacrylate nanoparticles for tumor-targeted drug delivery

A novel chitosan coated poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) (PBCA) nanoparticles loaded doxorubicin (DOX) were synthesized and then conjugated with folic acid to produce a folate-targeted drug carrier for tumor-specific drug delivery. Prepared nanoparticles were surface modified by folate for targeting cancer cells, which is confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy and characterized for shape, size, and zeta potential measurements. The size and zeta potential of prepared DOX-PBCA nanoparticles (DOX-PBCA NPs) were almost 174 ± 8.23 nm and +23.14 ± 4.25 mV, respectively with 46.8 ± 3.32% encapsulation capacity. The transmission electron microscopy study revealed that preparation allowed the formation of spherical nanometric and homogeneous. Fluorescent microscopy imaging and flow cytometry analysis revealed that DOX-PBCA NPs were endocytosed into MCF-7 cells through the interaction with overexpressed folate receptors on the surface of the cancer cells. The results demonstrate that folate-conjugated DOX-PBCA NPs drug delivery system could provide increased therapeutic benefit by delivering the encapsulated drug to the folate receptor positive cancer cells.