Biocompatible Drug Delivery System Based on a MOF Platform for a Sustained and Controlled Release of the Poorly Soluble Drug Norfloxacin

Abstract

Norfloxacin (NFX), an important antibacterial fluoroquinolone, is a class IVdrugaccording to thebiopharma ceutics classification system(BCS) and has low solubility and permeabilityissues.Suchpoorphysicochemicalpropertiesofdrug molecules leadtopoordeliveryandareof seriousconcerntothe pharmaceutical industryforclinicaldevelopment.Wepresenthere aconceptuallynewapproachtodeliverNFX,byloadingthedrug moleculeontheporousplatformofabiocompatiblemetal−organic framework(MOF),MIL-100(Fe).Theloadingof thedrugonthe MOFleadingtoNFX@MIL-100(Fe)wascharacterizedbyFourier transforminfrared(FTIR),UV−visiblespectroscopy, thermogravi metric analyses (TGA), and nitrogen adsorption studies. Controlledexperiments resulted in thehigh loadingof thedrug molecule(∼20wt%)alongwiththedesiredsustainedrelease.Wecouldfurthercontrol thereleaseofnorfloxacinbycoatingdrug loadedMIL-100(Fe) with PEG, PEG{NFX@MIL-100(Fe)}. Both drug delivery systems (DDSs), NFX@MIL-100(Fe) and PEG{NFX@MIL-100(Fe)},weretestedfortheirbiocompatibilitythroughtoxicitystudies.TheDDSsarebiocompatibleandshow insignificant cytotoxicity, as revealed by cell viability studies through the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT)assay.