Synthesis and characterization of spherical C/ZnO/polydopamine composites as carriers for 5-fluorouracil: a focus on sustained release performance

Drug delivery systems utilize micro-nanomaterials as drug carriers, encapsulating drugs within micro-nanoparticles and releasing them to target tissues or cells via specific pathways. This technology enhances drug stability, prolongs drug retention time in the body, and reduces damage to healthy tissues. This study successfully synthesized novel carbon-doped zinc oxide (C/ZnO) micro-nanomaterials and employed polydopamine (PDA) for surface modification, resulting in the construction of C/ZnO/PDA carriers. Experimental results demonstrate that PDA modification significantly enhances the drug delivery performance of the material. This composite material exhibits a 5-Fu loading efficiency of 37.8%, representing a 1.15-fold increase compared to unmodified C/ZnO. In vitro release tests demonstrate sustained drug release characteristics, showing a 1.62-fold increase over the unmodified system. In addition, these medicine particles significantly enhanced the indicators of antibacterial and bactericidal efficacy. In vitro cell experiments also confirmed that the drug carrier can enhance the lethality of the drug against HepG2 cells. Research on the binding energy between the carrier and the drug revealed that PDA modification promotes drug-carrier binding, resulting in more stable overall adsorption. These findings demonstrate the potential application value of micro-nanoparticle-based targeted drug delivery systems in disease prevention and treatment.