Quinazolinone Derivatives Loaded Polypyrrole/Chitosan Core–Shell Nanoparticles with Different Morphologies: Antibacterial and Anticancer Activities

Abstract

Polypyrrole/chitosan (PPC) spherical dark nanoparticles surrounded by shadow spheres were fabricated through in situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole in presence of chitosan (CS) using ferric chloride (FeCl3) as oxidant and evaluated as a carrier for some amino-quinazolinone derivatives (I–IV). The loading of amino-quinazolinone derivatives (I–IV) into the core–shell nanoparticles were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Quinazolinone derivatives (I–IV) loaded nanoparticles showed inter-connected sphere in necklace-like morphology, rods or filaments depending on the functional groups in quinazolinone derivatives. The release of quinazolinone derivatives from PPC nanoparticles was pH sensitive. The antimicrobial activity of loaded PPC nanoparticles against gram positive and gram negative bacteria was higher than CS and PPC nanoparticles. The results revealed that new generation of nanoparticles loaded with quinazolinone represent a potential platform to target breast cancer cell line (MCF7), Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells and liver cancer cells (HEPG2) in comparison with PPC and quinazolinone derivatives.