Synthesis of Biocompatible Double-Tailed Nonionic Surfactants and Their Investigation for Niosomal Drug-Loading Applications

Abstract

Nonionic surfactants are capable of self-assembling and thus are of vital importance for designing various drug-delivery systems. This study reports the synthesis, characterization, biocompatibility, and drug-loading potential of sulfanilamide-based novel nonionic surfactants. These surfactants were synthesized in a single-step reaction and characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron impact mass spectroscopy, and fourier-transforminfrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the synthesized nonionic surfactants was determined using a ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectrophotometer. The surfactant potential for niosomal vesicles was explored using simvastatin as a model drug. The drug-loaded vesicles were screened for shape, size, size distribution, and percent drug entrapment efficiency (EE%) using atomic force microscopy (AFM), zeta potential, and UV-visible spectrophotometry. Biocompatibility of the synthesized surfactants was investigated through blood hemolysis and cell toxicity assays. Synthesized nonionic surfactants revealed lower CMC values of 0.045-0.095 mM and entrapped an improved amount of drug upon self-simplifying in niosomal vesicles. Findings of the study confirm these nonionic surfactants as hemocompatible and nontoxic candidates for vesicular drug-delivery applications.