A novel PEGylated carbon nanotube conjugated mangiferin: An explorative nanomedicine for brain cancer cells

In the present study, polyethylene glycol-linked conjugate of carbon nanotubes with Mangiferin was synthesized and characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques. Studies for the determination of particle size, polydispersity index and zeta potential were performed. Morphological characterization was performed using transmission electron microscopy. Phytochemical conjugated nanotubes were also evaluated for hemo-compatibility, protein binding capacity and in-vitro drug release. Cytotoxicity studies and flow cytometry were performed on U-87 cell lines. Drug release studies confirmed a spatiotemporal pattern of release at the cancer cell pH. Cytotoxicity studies proved that there was 1.28 folds decrease in the IC50 value indicating effective anticancer activity, whereas hemolytic profile established the safety. Flow cytometry confirmed effective induction of apoptosis with minimum necrosis by the nano-conjugate vis-a-vis the naive drug. The pharmacokinetic study showcased that there was 4 times escalation in the area under the curve, i.e., bioavailability of the drug after the conjugation to that of plain mangiferin. From the obtained results, it can be concluded that these functionalized nanocarriers are capable of the effective and safer delivery of phytochemicals to the brain cancerous cells.