Journal of Research in Pharmacy Research Article www.jrespharm.com How to cite this article: Al-Azzawı S, Hammadı A, Masheta D. Anti-inflammatory activity of prednisolone drug loaded on carbon nanotubes. J Res Pharm. 2024; 28(3): 651-660. © 2024 Marmara University Press ISSN: 2630-6344 http://dx.doi.org/10.29228/jrp.727 651 Anti-inflammatory activity of prednisolone drug loaded on carbon nanotubes Shafq AL-AZZAWI 1 * , Asmaa HAMMADI 1 , Dhafir MASHETA 1 1 College of Pharmacy, University of Babylon, Hilla, 51002, Iraq * Corresponding Author. E-mail: phar.shafaq.kadhim@uobabylon.edu.iq (S.A.); Tel. +09647831349452. Received: 18 April 2023 / Revised: 27 September 2023 / Accepted: 28 September 2023 ABSTRACT: The activity of many anti-inflammatory drugs is limited due to inadequate tissue penetration and targeting efficiency and side effects of free drug. A properly designed delivery system can enhance therapeutic activity by overcoming these obstacles. This study aims to load prednisolone drug molecules on carbon nanotubes carrier (CNT) for improving its anti-inflammatory action and reducing the adverse reactions associated with using higher doses of the unloaded drug. CNT carrier was loaded with prednisolone by nano-extraction, and the morphology and size were determined by a scanning electron microscope. X-ray diffraction patterns and FT-IR spectra were utilized for characterization. While the anti-inflammatory activity of the loaded drug was examined biochemically through the assessment of interleukin-1 levels as an inflammatory marker using an in vitro tissue culture model composed of HeLa cells. These cells were stimulated with TNF-α to initiate the activation of the nuclear factor-κB as an inflammatory response. Successful loading of drug was confirmed through microscopic examination results which showed that CNT formed a network with bundles of prednisolone molecules grafted onto the surface, and these results were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and FT-IR. Whereas, the loaded drug still has its anti-inflammatory action, by significant lowering in interleukin-1 levels which was detected in TNF-α-stimulated cells treated with prednisolone loaded on CNT compared to unloaded CNT. In conclusion, this study demonstrated, for the first time, a successful loading of prednisolone to a CNT with a potential anti-inflammatory action making it a promising complex in treating inflammatory diseases with reduced therapeutic doses. KEYWORDS: Anti-inflammatory action; Interleukin-1; Carbon nanotube; Prednisolone; Drug delivery systems 1. INTRODUCTION The enhanced and improved understanding of disease biology and aetiology is revealing new receptor targets for treatment. Nevertheless, due to insufficient tissue penetration and targeting efficiency, such treatments aiming at these receptors frequently fail [1]. A deeper comprehension is necessary to overcome obstacles with inadequate permeability across biological barriers and achieve targeted drug delivery to various tissues at the cellular level [1]. Drug delivery systems (DDS), either simple or sophisticated, are designed to enhance the therapeutic profile of biomolecules and protect them from deactivation while circulating in the body. Without DDS, effectiveness is completely reliant on drug's physico-chemical characteristics and capacity to enter a target region where the action is required. Safer (by decreasing the dose of administered drug) and more efficient drug delivery (by improving specific tissues targeting) may be achieved by hiring of targeted nanomedicines as DDS [2,3]. Thus, in the last two decades, the applications of nanomaterials (such as liposomes, dendrimers, carbon and titanium dioxide nanomaterials, iron oxide and polymers-based nanoparticles, and other types of nanoparticles) in the diagnostic and medical purposes have been escalated [4-6]. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted tremendous interest in the drug delivery field because of their unique and promising characteristics including; high surface area to weight ratios, flexible interaction, reasonable strength, needle-like crystal structures and high loading capacities with cargo drugs, unique electrical and optical properties, high degrees of stability and biocompatibility, and reversible release of loaded bioactive cargos at targeted tissue) [7, 8]. İD İD İD