FORMULATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF PLGA-DOXORUBICIN COMPOSITES CONJUGATED WITH BISPHOSPHONATES IN ONCOLOGICAL THERAPY
ROBERTO-ANGELO POSTELNICU 1, MARIA-VIORICA CIOCÎLTEU 1*, COSTEL VALENTIN MANDA 1, ROXANA-MARIA BĂLĂȘOIU 1, SILVIA ANDREEA PÎRVU 1, GABRIELA RĂU 1, CLAUDIU NICOLICESCU 2, ANDREEA GABRIELA MOCANU 1, JOHNY NEAMȚU 1
1 Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy 2 Petru Rareş Street, 200349, Craiova, Dolj County, Romania
2 Faculty of Mechanics, University of Craiova, 1 Călugăreni Street, 220037, Drobeta Turnu-Severin, Mehedinţi County, Romania
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The study investigates the characteristics of PLGA-based particles encapsulating doxorubicin (Doxo) and functionalised with alendronate (Aln) for controlled drug delivery. Zeta potential measurements indicated moderate colloidal stability of both PLGA-Doxo and PLGA-Doxo-Aln particles, with values of -7 mV and -10 mV, respectively. This negative charge suggests weak electrostatic repulsion between particles, potentially promoting aggregation in complex biological environments. Numerical and volumetric distributions showed that most particles were in the 550 - 822 nm size range, with a predominant particle size of 817.2 nm for PLGA-Doxo-Aln. The morphology of the particles revealed a porous structure, which could influence the gradual release of Doxo. Antibacterial activity tests showed significant inhibition of S. aureus by PLGA-Doxo, while PLGA-Doxo-Aln showed no activity against E. coli due to functionalization with Aln. Release studies indicated a controlled release of both Aln and Doxo, with gradual degradation of the PLGA matrix contributing to prolonged drug release. The results suggest that PLGA-Doxo-Aln particles could serve as a promising system for targeted drug delivery, particularly for bone-related cancers.
