5-Fluorouracil-loaded designed manganese-dysprosium sulfide composite nanoparticles and their in vitro cancer cell inhibition

Sulfide nanoparticles are an intriguing class of nanomaterials, employed in various biomedical applications including cancer diagnosis and treatment. The current study explores the multifaceted characteristics and potential applications of poly-β-cyclodextrin (poly-CD)-coated manganese-dysprosium-sulfide (Mn-Dy-sulfide) and manganese sulfide nanoparticles. The Mn-Dy-sulfide nanoparticles exhibit an average crystallite size of 21.97 nm, signifying their nanoscale nature. In terms of magnetic properties, these nanoparticles demonstrate weak saturation magnetization values and positive magnetic susceptibility, with a notable MS of 0.6019 emu/g and a coercivity value of 277.95 Oe for the poly-CD coated Mn-Dy-sulfide nanoparticles. Moreover, these nanoparticles serve as effective drug carriers, with drug loading contents of 7.35 % and an impressive drug encapsulation efficiency of 77.93 %. Their drug release profile reveals approximately 50 % drug release at around 110 h (pH 7.4) and 160 h (pH 6.0), offering controlled drug delivery capabilities. Crucially, the anticancer activity of these nanoparticles is evident in their IC50 values. Mn-Dy-sulfide nanoparticles loaded with 5-fluorouracil exhibit a low half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 7.9 ± 0.5 μg mL−1, demonstrating their potential as effective anticancer agents. Precisely, these poly-CD coated Mn-Dy-sulfide nanoparticles exhibit exceptional characteristics, including nanoscale size, high crystallinity, magnetic responsiveness, optical properties, drug delivery capabilities, and potent anticancer activity.