Abstract:
Mesoporous silica MCM-41 was synthesized using sol-gel method and
functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriexthoxysilane and -N-(2-Aminoethyl)-3-
aminopropyltrimethoxysilane to obtain surface functionalized materials MCM-A!
and MCM-A2 respectively. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, NMR
spectroscopy, XRD, nitrogen adsorption and desorption analysis and scanning
electron microscopy were done for characterization of materials. The prepared
materials were loaded with the anti-inflammatory drug Diclofenac (water soluble).
The drug loading capacity of MCM-A1 and MCM-A2 were found as 21.6% and
26% respectively. The drug release profiles were constructed up to 75 hours. The
results indicated that drug loaded materials showed distinct profiles and slow and
controlled drug release was observed from these materials. The MCM-A1 showed
a faster rate of drug release compared to MCM-A2, which is attributed to N-(2-
Aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane moieties attached to MCM-A2
surface resulting strong bonding interactions between the amine groups and drug
molecules. By incorporating organic groups onto silica, the drug release rates could
be tailored by varying the content of functional groups. The obtained results suggest
that such extended drug delivery system may be used as controlled release cargos
for water soluble anti-inflammatory drugs such as diclofenac sodium to enhance the
drug safety and efficacy.
