DESIGN, CHARACTERIZATION AND STABILITY STUDIES OF BAICALEIN LOADED CARBON NANODOTS FOR ENHANCED DRUG DELIVERYUG DELIVERY

Authors

  • Nasihah Mohd Zahid Biomedicine Programme, School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • Musbahu Adam Ahmad Department of Chemistry, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Jawa Timur 60115, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2875-9572
  • Mochamad Zakki Fahmi Department of Chemistry, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Jawa Timur 60115, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5430-9992
  • Nor Fazila Che Mat aBiomedicine Programme, School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia bDepartment of Chemistry, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Jawa Timur 60115, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1698-3633

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11113/jurnalteknologi.v88.24136

Keywords:

Baicalein, carbon nanodots, drug delivery, cancer therapy, nanotechnology

Abstract

Cancer remains a significant global health challenge, necessitating advancements in therapeutic strategies to overcome the limitations of conventional treatments, including resistance development and adverse side effects. Baicalein, a naturally derived flavonoid with potent anticancer, antioxidant, and antiinflammation properties, has shown great promise but its usage in clinical application limited by poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, such as nanoparticle carbon nanodots (CDs), present a promising solution to improve drug stability, solubility, and targeted delivery. This study aimed to develop, characterize, and evaluate the stability of baicalein-loaded carbon nanodots (Bai-CDs) as a novel therapeutic delivery system. CDs were synthesized via the pyrolysis of citric acid and subsequently loaded with baicalein under optimized conditions (pH 7.4, 2:1 ratio). The resulting Bai-CDs exhibited an increase in particle size (from 10 nm to 23 nm) upon loading, with successful physical interactions confirmed by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The loading capacity (LC) and adsorption efficiency (AE) of baicalein were found to be 37% and 74 %. Stability assessments demonstrated the enhanced robustness of Bai-CDs under varying pH and ionic conditions, particularly in acidic environments. These findings confirm the successful design and characterization of Bai-CDs, offering improved stability and paving the way for their application as a nanocarrier system to enhance baicalein’s bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. This study underscores the potential of Bai-CDs as a promising strategy for advanced drug delivery in cancer therapy.

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Published

2025-12-23

Issue

Vol. 88 No. 1: January 2026

Section

Science and Engineering

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