Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies

Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies

Design and Optimization of a Niosomal System with Simultaneous Loading of Gemcitabine and Curcumin Drugs for Applications in Cancer Chemotherapy

Document Type : Original Reaearch Article

Authors
Amin Rahiminejad 1
Mojgan Heydari 2
Fariba Tajabadi 2
1 PhD Student, Department of Nano Technology and Advanced Materials, Materials and Energy Research Center, Karaj, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Nano Technology and Advanced Materials, Materials and Energy Research Center, Karaj, Iran.
10.30501/jamt.2025.506719.1320
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer exhibits a high mortality rate globally, and numerous research efforts have been directed toward treating this disease. Gemcitabine is considered one of the most efficacious pharmacological agents for the treatment of this disease. However, this drug is characterized by its short half-life and development of resistance over time. To enhance the efficacy of this drug, it is imperative to utilize a carrier and concurrently administer another drug, Curcumin, to augment its effect. The implementation of advanced drug delivery systems can effectively address this challenge. For this purpose, a niosomal vesicle system was employed to simultaneously encapsulate both drugs. Various assays were conducted to design optimal and engineered systems. The results demonstrated that the optimal lipid-to-drug ratio was 20. Furthermore, the optimal sonication time was determined to be approximately 24 minutes, yieldeding niosomes with a diameter of 241 nm, suitable for passing through the intercellular pores of cancer cells. FESEM images also confirmed the semi-sphericity and formation of vesicles. Through optimization of the effective parameters in the synthesis process, the encapsulation efficiency for Curcumin reached 93%, while that for Gemcitabine reached 65%. The drug release rate after 48 h of co-encapsulation was 38% for Gemcitabine and 13.5% for Curcumin. The results of this study indicate that the niosomal drug delivery system with simultaneous loading of Gemcitabine and Curcumin is suitable for use in cancer chemotherapy.
Keywords
Nano Niosome
Curcumin
Gemcitabine
Co-delivery
Drug Delivery
Subjects
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Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies
Volume 13, Issue 4
Winter 2025
Pages 57-72

  • Receive Date 18 February 2025
  • Revise Date 03 March 2025
  • Accept Date 18 March 2025