QUERCETIN-LOADED GRAPHENE OXIDE NANOPARTICLES: SYNTHESIS, OPTIMIZATION, AND EVALUATION FOR BREAST CANCER TREATMENT

Objective: This study aimed to develop graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with Quercetin (QUE) for oncological applications, enhancing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. Methods: QUE-GO NPs were synthesized using Tween 80 and probe sonication, with optimization achieved through a Box-Behnken Design (BBD) that considered parameters including GO weight, surfactant volume, and sonication time. Results: The optimized batch 14 achieved an Entrapment Efficiency (EE) of 92.5±0.7%, with a particle size of 86.9±0.46 nm and a Polydispersity Index (PDI) of 0.158±0.001, indicating good stability. Drug release studies showed 88.60±2.3% release over 8 h (n = 3). Cytotoxicity assays in MCF-7 breast cancer and HEK293 noncancerous cells revealed enhanced cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells (IC50: 126.20 µg/ml) (p<0.001) compared to pure QUE's (MW: 302.24 g/mol) IC50 of 175.89 µg/ml (p<0.05). The safety profile was observed for HEK 293 cells (IC50: 1009.40 µg/ml). Conclusion: These findings support QUE-GO NPs as a promising nanocarrier for targeted cancer therapy. A favourable safety profile was observed.