A superparamagnetic Fe3O4-loaded polymeric nanocarrier for targeted delivery of evodiamine with enhanced antitumor efficacy

The aim of this study was to design and synthesize a polymeric nanocarrier system loaded with both superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and the anticancer drug evodiamine through a solvent evaporation technique. The hydrodynamic diameter of the prepared SPION-evodiamine-loaded nanocarrier was approximately 261 nm, and the drug-loading content and encapsulation efficiency were 8.61 ± 0.73% and 40.36 ± 3.42%, respectively. The nanocarrier exhibited good superparamagnetism and an iron content of approximately 9.34%. In vitro drug release experiments showed a sustained release profile over 70 h. Staining with Prussian blue confirmed that the nanocarrier could be effectively internalized into HeLa cells. MTT assays indicated that the SPION-evodiamine-loaded nanocarrier showed cytotoxicity comparable to that of free evodiamine. If an external magnetic field was applied, the SPION-loaded nanocarrier accumulated at the targeted sites and demonstrated a magnetic force-mediated targeting property with the aid of a magnetic field. Furthermore, the SPION-evodiamine-loaded nanocarrier exhibited a much higher in vivo antitumor efficacy than free evodiamine. Together, these results indicate that the SPION-evodiamine-loaded nanocarrier could effectively inhibit tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo with reduced toxicity, and therefore is a promising candidate to achieve enhanced therapeutic efficacy for clinical development.