Green composite synthesis based on aluminum fumarate metal-organic framework (MOF) for doxorubicin delivery: An in vitro study

The development of an eco-friendly and cost-effective drug delivery system (DDS) remains a challenge in cancer treatment. This study suggests a novel, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method to synthesize aluminum fumarate (A520) MOF using tangerine peel extract (TPE) as a pH-sensitive coating agent on a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) substrate. The system also incorporates the 2,2 '-bipyridine '-bipyridine dimethyltin diisothiocyanate complex, (Sn(bpy), as an organotin complex) to enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimizing off-target effects. . In vitro cellular and molecular cytotoxicity examinations were conducted using HEK-293 and MCF-7 cell lines to evaluate cytotoxicity after 24 and 72 h. The findings of the MTT assay indicated that the final nanocarriers, without and with doxorubicin (DOX), exhibited relative cell viability of 95 % and 55 %, respectively, highlighting the system's potential for efficient and safe drug delivery. The TPE coating created a pH-sensitive DDS with high drug loading efficiency (DLE) (59.1 %) and low cytotoxicity. Drug release was studied over 200 h at pH 5.5 and 7.2. The augmented drug release profile (47 %) demonstrated a targeted release and successful inhibition of premature release in acidic environments due to pH-sensitive TPE molecules. The efficacy of targeted drug delivery to the MCF-7 cell was evaluated using 2D fluorescence microscopy, which demonstrated successful delivery of drugs to the cells. This innovative approach addresses the limitations of existing studies while promoting biocompatibility, stability, and functionality in DDSs.