Abstract
Mesalamine (MES), widely prescribed for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and explored for cancer repurposing, exhibits limited stability and non-selective biodistribution, emphasizing the need for efficient carrier systems to enhance the efficacy of the carrier system, it is necessary to control the drug loading during the synthesis procedure. Therefore, in this study, we synthesized mesalamine-loaded ZIF-8 nanoparticles (MES@nZIF-8) via a controlled-stirring approach and to assess the effect of reaction time (15 min, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h) on the MES loading and its physicochemical properties. Successful characterization techniques were proven by spectroscopic and electron microscopic procedure. A change from milky white to pale yellow was observed with longer stirring. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns matched simulated ZIF-8, indicating retained framework crystallinity across conditions. Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed distinct band shifts at 1674 cm⁻¹, 2359 cm⁻¹, and 2341 cm⁻¹ at 48 h, consistent with enhanced drug–framework interactions at 48 h. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) revealed that particle size increased from 91.2 ± 10.77 nm (pristine nZIF-8) to 169.37 ± 25.86 nm (MES@nZIF-8) at 48 h, with hydrodynamic size rising from 229.97 ± 0.74 nm to 266.70 ± 4.32 nm, respectively. Meanwhile, thermal stability (TGA) declined with increasing reaction time. The highest EE (95.35 ± 0.02%) and DL (10.17%) were achieved at 48 h. These findings suggests that reaction time significantly modulates the physicochemical characteristics and stability of MES@nZIF-8, offering insight into the design of anti-inflammatory drug-loaded MOFs for pH-responsive drug delivery applications.
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