Targeted therapeutic effects of oral magnetically driven pectin nanoparticles containing chlorogenic acid on colon cancer

Oral colonic nano-drug delivery system has attracted growing attention in treating colon cancer for their excellent characteristics. However, the unique and complex structure of the gastrointestinal tract is still an obstacle to the safe delivery of drugs targeting sites in colon tumors. Here, we designed magnetically driven dual-targeted oral colonic nanoparticles loaded with chlorogenic acid using pectin and oleic acid-modified iron oxide (Fe3O4@OA). Specific degradation of pectin by pectinase produced by colonic flora and magnetic fields applied to the colon confers specific targeting of nanoparticles to the colon. In order to overcome the challenge of preparing magnetically driven nanoparticles with small and homogeneous particle sizes by a single conventional method, we developed the combined ultrasound-emulsification technique. The average particle size of the prepared nanoparticles was 81.04 ± 1.02 nm, which showed good drug release in the simulated colonic environment. In vitro anticancer studies, the drug-loaded nanoparticles possess an obvious toxicity and apoptosis-inducing ability against cancer cells. Meanwhile, the hemolysis results demonstrated the safety of the nanoplatform (PET/CGA/Fe3O4@OA). This work holds broad prospects as a new treatment modality for colon cancer.