Fabrication of folic acid-embedded aminated drug encapsulated zeolitic imidazolate framework as promising drug delivery system for lung cancer

A novel pH-responsive drug carrier for the delivery of specific Docetaxel (DTX) administration is developed based on a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8). Aminating the surface of ZIF-8 is allowed for the conjugation of folic acid (FA). Several spectroscopic studies characterized the newly fabricated DTX-encapsulated folic acid-embedded ethylene diamine (ED) ZIF-8 nanocomposites (DTX/FA@ED-ZIF-8). It has excellent chemical stability and high drug-loading efficiency. DTX from the folic acid-embedded aminated ZIF-8 (FA@ED-ZIF-8) is three-fold more efficient under acidic pH (5.0) than in physiological settings (pH 7.4), according to in vitro drug release tests. DTX/FA@ED-ZIF-8 exhibited cytotoxicity of 76.8