Biodegradation of hydroxylated boron nitride nanoplatelets, their toxic effect and drug delivery application

Abstract

Boron nitride is extensively used in various biomedical applications and often interacting with the blood circulatory system. However, the effect of its biotransformation in blood plasma, drug delivery applications, and antitumor effects remains unclear. Herein, we synthesized hydroxylated BN nanoplatelets (–OH/BNNPs) that are used to load doxorubicin (DOX) for cancer therapy. The stability of the –OH/BNNPs was tested in a lab-made, artificially developed, in vivo system for up to sixty days at two different pH values (pH 5.5 & 7.4). The results were compared thoroughly with pristine BN, and it is observed that –OH/BNNPs was very stable for up to two months compared to pristine BN that degraded during the next day. The –OH functionalization on the BNNP surface improves the DOX loading compared to the bulk BN since the –OH functional group facilitates drug absorption through hydrogen bonding. This causes the sustained release of the drug, which is an ideal requirement in drug delivery systems. The DOX-loaded –OH/BNNPs showed excellent therapeutic abilities on different cancer cell lines and organoids derived from colorectal cancer patients.