Magnetization of eugenol to fabricate magnetic-responsive emulsions for targeted delivery of caffeic acid phenethyl ester

Abstract

Fabrication of manipulative colloidal vehicles with appreciable stability under an eco-friendly, cross-linkage free environment has long been one of the major challenges in targeted delivery for curative, acoustic, and imaging purposes. A new targeted delivery system was developed in this paper based on magnetization of eugenol with magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles by simply evaporating water from the 3-phase system prior to a one-step coating of the oil using rice proteins to form core/shell structured composites. The droplets, examined as well-defined spheres with a mean hydrodynamic diameter of 204 nm, were metastable against long-term storage for up to 4 months, thermal treatment for up to 90 °C and UV (365 nm) radiation for up to 24 h. Furthermore, upon an external manipulation, the magnetic emulsions enhanced the anti-proliferation effects of encapsulated CAPE, an anti-cancer drug, on HCT-116 cells by over 20% compared to CAPE encapsulated in normal emulsions at dosages of 0.2 and 2 μg mL⁻¹. In principle, a wide variety of o/w emulsions can be magnetized using this approach. As a first step towards magnetic delivery, magnetization of oil may become a new targeted delivery strategy in the development of future site-specific diagnosis and treatment.