Zinc-Based bioMOF Nanocarrier for Curcumin Release Enables Permeation through Biomimetic Biological Membranes and Controlled Release.

Authors

Lorrayne Ohana Coelho, Marcos Vinicius de Sousa Pereira, Tatianny de Araujo Andrade, Katia M Oliveira, Jemmyson R de Jesus

Published in

ACS omega. Volume 11. Issue 30. Pages 44729-44738. Aug 04, 2026. Epub Jul 17, 2026.

Abstract

Curcumin (Cur) is a natural polyphenolic compound with significant therapeutic potential, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. However, its clinical application is limited by its low aqueous solubility and low bioavailability. In this study, we developed a biocompatible Zn-based metal-organic framework (bio-MOF) as a nanocarrier for curcumin. The synthesized material was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (P-XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG/dTG), confirming the stability of the structure and the successful loading of the drug. The system showed a Cur loading efficiency of 75.98 ± 2.65% (n = 3). Cytotoxicity assays were performed in MCF-7 cell lines and demonstrated that the delivery system has a superior effect on reducing cell viability compared to free cur. The release kinetics followed a Ritger-Peppas model (R ² = 0.948), indicating controlled release behavior. In vitro permeation studies revealed that the carrier successfully penetrated the biomimetic barrier and released Cur in the receptor compartment. Finally, through albumin fluorescence quenching analysis, a progressive decrease in fluorescence was observed with a Stern-Volmer constant (K _SV) of 9.4 × 10³ M^-1, indicating a moderate binding affinity and suggesting that the nanocarrier can effectively interact with transport proteins. These findings demonstrate that the bio-MOF platform is a promising strategy to enhance the release and biological interaction of hydrophobic phytochemicals.

PMID:
42569017
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 08 Aug 2026.

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