Synthesis and in vitro localization study of curcumin-loaded SPIONs in a micro capillary for simulating a targeted drug delivery system.

Nano-sized curcumin-loaded super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (CUR-OA-SPIONs) were synthesized chemically by co-precipitation method using oleic acid as a stabilizer and Myrj 52 as a surfactant. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized for their shape, size, surface morphology, electrokinetic potential, magnetic properties, crystalinity, chemical interactions and thermal transitions. The synthesized CUR-OA-SPIONs were spherical, mono-dispersed, physically stable and super-paramagnetic in nature. In vitro localization study and aggregation dynamics of CUR-OA-SPIONs were studied with a flow of blood inside a square glass capillary (500×500 μm(2) cross section) in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field (Ms=1200 mT). This research which is first of its kind showed the fluorescent imaging of CUR-OA-SPIONs with respect to time to understand the aggregation dynamics of magnetic nanoparticles in a micro capillary simulating the case of targeted drug delivery system. The size of the aggregation increases with respect to time (t=0(+)s to t=500 s), while no significant change in the size of the aggregate was observed after time t=500 s.