LAUSR

Abstract The oval shaped, luminescent zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and then surface functionalized with PEG and beta cyclodextrin using wet co precipitation method for higher payload of hydrophobic drugs. The multi therapeutic hydrophobic drug curcumin was loaded in these nanocomposites for pH sensitive and sustained release in to cancer cells. The functionalized, bare and drug loaded zinc oxide nanomaterials were characterized using UV–Vis, FTIR, PL spectroscopy, XRD, SEM and TEM analysis. The strong fluorescence property of functionalized zinc oxide nanoparticles was maintained after surface functionalization and exhibited cell imaging property and biocompatibility by brine shrimp assay. The higher drug encapsulation efficiency was observed on these nanocomposites due to beta-cyclodextrin coating, also the lysosomal pH sensitive, higher and long term drug release were reported from these ZnO nanocomposites. These curcumin encapsulated surface functionalized ZnO nanocomposite exhibited higher antibacterial activity on Staph. Aureus than free drug and related to biocompatibility. These nanocomposites with higher drug payload had proved their biomedical application for cancer therapy due to their higher apoptosis effects on MCF-7 cells after MTT assay.