SYNTHESIS AND STABILITY OF RESVERATROL-GOLD NANOPARTICLE-POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL-FOLIC ACID CONJUGATES

Objective: Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be used as targeted drug delivery systems, however, AuNPs have high surface energy and easily aggregate,thus negatively impacting nanoparticle stability. Therefore, it is necessary to add a stabilizing agent to AuNPs. To synthesize AuNPs stabilized bypolyethylene glycol conjugated to folic acid (FA), thus creating a model drug (resveratrol [RSV]) carrier that targets FA receptors on cancer cells.Methods: AuNPs were synthesized using the Turkevich method and stabilized by adding FA conjugated to polyethylene glycol (PEG). After RSV wasloaded, the conjugate was physically characterized and subjected to stability tests.Results: The RSV-AuNP had an average particle size of 51.97 nm (polydispersity index [PDI] 0.694, zeta potential – 24.6 mV). The RSV-AuNP-PEG-FAconjugate (RSV-AuNP-PEG-FA) had an average particle size of 195.6 nm (PDI=0.233, zeta potential=−21.1 mV). Stability tests showed that RSV-AuNPPEG-FA was more stable than RSV-AuNP. Furthermore, RSV-AuNP-PEG-FA and RSV-AuNP were more stable in buffer pH 7.4 and bovine serum albumin2% than in buffer pH 4, cysteine 1%, and NaCl 0.9% solutions.Conclusion: PEG-FA conjugates can improve the stability of RSV-loaded AuNP.