2.1.Materials
All laboratory materials used in this project, including chitosan (CS) (medium molecular weight, 75–85% degree of deacetylation), polylactic acid (PLA) (medium molecular weight), polyurethane (PU) (medium molecular weight), polyethylene glycol (PEG) (low molecular weight, 400), Tween 80 (26 kDa) were purchased from Sigma Chemical Co. Meanwhile, MnCl2.4H2O (98%), FeCl3.6H2O (98%), NaOH (99%), and glutaraldehyde were bought from Merck Co. Lastly, chloroform (99%) and formic acid (95%) solvents were sourced from Sigma-Aldrich, Germany.
2.2. Synthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles
307.2 g of hexahydrate of iron chloride, 97.7 g of short-grained iron chloride were dissolved in 100 ml distilled water to make magnetic NPs. The subsequent product was placed in a bathroom sonicator for 30 min, then stirred for 2 h under a stream of nitrogen gas. Concentrated ammonia was used as the precipitating agent. Following the reaction, the sediments were separated by a magnetic separation method with a 1.3 T magnet [and washed with distilled water and ethanol. The sediment was then dried in an oven at 400 C.
2.3. Connection of A. sativum oil and Z. officinale oils to magnetic nanoparticles
In order to take advantage of the antihypertensive properties of medicinal plants, various food oils were used, including olive oil, sesame, coconut, almond, A. sativum oil and Z. officinale oils, lavender and coriander. In this way, 0.5 g of each of the above oils was mixed with 0.5 g of iron magnetic NPs and the solvent was stirred on a magnetic stirrer for 24 h in the solvent. After this the obtained products were extracted. Fe3O4@ A. sativum oil and Fe3O4@ Z. officinale oil formed in the section.
2.4. Preparation of CS/PLA/PU solutions for scaffolding
Polymeric scaffolding was done using solutions with concentrations of 4-8%. The best scaffolding was obtained from a solution of 6% of each, which was prepared from 2 g of polymer in 3.33 ml of formic acid. In the process Fe3O4@ A. sativum oil /CS/PLA/PU and Fe3O4@ Z. officinale/CS/PLA/PU were produced.
2.5. Scaffolding Method
6% solutions of each polymer were scaffolded with a 3D printer and kept at 800 C temperature for 10 d. After the solvent dried, they were placed in the freezer for 5 d.
2.6. Stabilization of scaffolding
In order to establish a connection between the molecules, polymer scaffolds were placed in a 2% volumetric GA solution for 4 h. They were then removed from the solution and rinsed with deionized water and finally placed in a freezer for 24 h.
2.7. Placing iron magnetic nanoparticles containing food oils on polymer scaffolds
0.5 g of each of the above extracted products was mixed with 0.5 g of modified polymer 3D scaffold and dissolved in a solvent for 24 h on a magnetic stirrer, after which the obtained products were extracted.
2.8. Modification of scaffolding containing magnetic nanoparticles of iron and medicine by Gelatin
In order to improve the adhesion of the cell to the scaffold’s surface and to increase its surface properties for use in tissue engineering, 3D polymer scaffold containing magnetic iron NPs and drug was reacted with gelatin. In this way, 1g from the scaffold was mixed with 0.5 g gelatin in 100 ml water for 24 h and then the resulting sediments were collected. In the process Fe3O4@ A. sativum oil /CS/PLA/PU modified gelatin and Fe3O4@ Z. officinale/CS/PLA/PU modified gelatin were produced.
2.9. PEGylation of 3D polymer scaffolding containing magnetic nanoparticles of iron and medicine
To increase the stability and durability of scaffolds in the body, scaffolds were PEGylated. In such a way 0.5 g PEG (400) is dissolved in 100 ml of 98% ethanol (ambient temperature, 300 rpm). This solution is fixed on pH=7.4 by 1 M sodium hydroxide. The scaffolds containing magnetic iron NPs and drug were mixed with this solution and placed at room temperature for 18 h. Then, the PEGylated scaffolds were separated by 1.3T magnet and distilled with water and ethanol washed twice. In the process Fe3O4@ A. sativum oil /CS/PLA/PU modified gelatin PEGylated (Fe3O4@ A. sativum oil /CS/PLA/PU-Mo Ge-PEGylated) and Fe3O4@ Z. officinale/CS/PLA/PU modified gelatin PEGylated (Fe3O4@ Z. officinale/CS/PLA/PU-Mo Ge-PEGylated) were produced.
2.10. Release of medication
2.10.1. Determining the actual amount of medicine loading
Ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy at 275 nm served to determine the actual amount of medicine (garlic oil) loaded on magnetic iron NPs containing PEGylated polymer scaffolds (CS/PLA/PU). 50 mg of the sample was dissolved in 100 ml of the phosphate buffer pH = 7.4 and stirred for 24 h at room temperature with a magnetic stirrer. Then the product was separated. The actual amount of medicine loaded was calculated by the following equation (Eq. 1):
Where Mact is the weight of the sample containing medicine, Mms is the weight of the medicine without the sample and AC represents the amount of medicine loaded.
2.10.2. Determination of medicine releaseprofile
40 mg of the sample was dissolved in 100 ml of phosphate buffer solution with pH = 7.4 and stirred at room temperature with a magnetic stirrer. With a certain time, interval of up to 48 h, 5 ml from the top solution was removed and the sediments in it were separated. Then its absorption was read by a UV-Vis device at 275 nm and the amount of medicine was obtained from the calibration curve. The medicine cumulative percentage was calculated from the following equation (Eq. 2):
Where t is the medicine release time, Mt is the cumulative amount of medicine in time unit and M0 is the initial amount of medicine in the sample. The results show that 75% of the medicine loaded on iron magnetic NPs containing PEGylated polymer scaffolds (CS/PLA/PU) was released.