Title:

Designing Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Dual Delivery of Artemisinin and Amphotericin B: An Innovative Strategy for Therapeutic Intervention

Author:

Priyanka Mishra^1*, Nisha Sharma¹ , Debmalya Roy² , Kalpana¹

¹School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur – 208024, Uttar Pradesh, India.

²Nanoscience and Coating Division, DMSRDE, GT Road, Kanpur, 208013, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Received: 19^th Aug, 2025; Revised: 25^th Sep, 2025; Accepted: 17^th Oct, 2025; Available Online: 30^th Nov, 2025

ABSTRACT

The present investigation assesses the potential of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) as dual drug carriers for artemisinin and amphotericin B. These two therapeutic agents were chosen due to their established pharmacological activities—artemisinin for its antimalarial efficacy and amphotericin B for its strong antifungal action. The study primarily concentrated on designing, developing, and optimizing MSNP-based formulations to achieve efficient co-delivery of these agents. Comprehensive synthesis and characterization procedures were undertaken to analyze the encapsulation performance of MSNPs. Key physicochemical parameters such as particle diameter, polydispersity index (PDI), surface charge, drug loading capacity, and entrapment efficiency were meticulously evaluated. Synthesized nanoparticles exhibited an average size of 199.0 ± 14.0 nm, a PDI value of 0.256 ± 0.21, and a zeta potential of –34.1 ± 0.21 mV. Additional structural and surface examinations were conducted. Entrapment efficiency studies revealed that artemisinin ranged between 69.30 ± 1.4% and 72.44 ± 1.0%, while amphotericin B demonstrated an efficiency of 60.23 ± 1.8% to 68.15 ± 1.4%, confirming successful incorporation of both agents into the MSNP framework. In-vitro release profiles evaluated in PBS (pH 7.4) exhibited a biphasic drug release, characterized by an initial rapid release followed by a controlled release over 48 hours. The observed release behaviour aligns with controlled drug delivery principles. Overall, the findings suggest that MSNPs co-loaded with artemisinin and amphotericin B offer promising attributes for targeted and sustained drug delivery, potentially enhancing therapeutic outcomes.

Keywords: Mesoporous silica nanoparticle, Artemisinin, Noval drug delivery system, Amphotericin B

How to cite this article: Mishra P, Sharma N, Roy D, Kalpana. Designing Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Dual Delivery of Artemisinin and Amphotericin B: An Innovative Strategy for Therapeutic Intervention. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2025;15(3):XX-XX. doi:10.25258/ijddt.15.4.X

Source of support: Nil.

Conflict of interest: None

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