Coating Iron Oxide Nanoparticles with Chitosan for Targeted Delivery of Nanocurcumin

Curcumin is an active non-toxic component of turmeric and is a substance with strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Iron, as a micronutrient, plays an important role in physiological processes. Chitosan is a natural polymer derived from chitin and is known as a biocompatible product due to its high biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and biodegradation to harmless products.

This study aimed to design and synthesize a modified magnetic nanoparticle to be used as a targeted drug delivery system.

Nanocurcumin loading was performed on the surface of chitosan-modified iron magnetic nanoparticles in two stages. In the first stage, chitosan was loaded on the surface of iron magnetic nanoparticles as a coating polymer. In the next step, the final reaction took place by the loading of nanocurcumin on the surface of magnetic iron nanoparticles modified by chitosan.

The results of transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the structure, morphology, physicochemical properties, and presence of nanocurcumin layers on chitosan in nanoparticles with a diameter of 20 nm. In the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the iron-oxygen peak indicated the magnetic nanoparticles of iron, and the oxygen-hydrogen peak showed nanocurcumin layers on chitosan. Moreover, X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of these elements in the final composition by showing iron, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen peaks.

The results of this study showed that nanocurcumin was successfully loaded on the surface of magnetic iron nanoparticles modified by chitosan.