PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF IRON OXIDE NANOPARTICLES FOR TREATMENT OF IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this research was to formulate and evaluate iron oxide nanoparticles for treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA).Methods: Iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation method and stabilized by coating with folic acid or chitosan. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized in vitro for morphology, particle size, zeta potential, crystallinity and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption. In vivo studies were performed to evaluate the efficacy of the prepared nanoparticles in treating iron-deficient anemic rats compared to the commercial iron product.Results: In vitro results revealed that particle sizes were 65.95±5 nm, 220.2±12 nm and 295.3±19 nm for uncoated iron oxide nanoparticles, folic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles and chitosan coated iron oxide nanoparticles, respectively. UV-Vis absorption spectrum and x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed that the prepared nanoparticles were iron oxide nanoparticles. In vivo results indicated that folic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles showed effective restorative action, returning haemoglobin (Hb) concentration to normal levels, where not only complete recovery of Hb within short time from the anemic state to the high normal level, but also improved Hb concentrations compared to the commercial iron product.Conclusion: The results obtained in this research work clearly indicated a promising potential of folic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for the effective treatment of IDA.