American Journal of Advanced Drug Delivery www.ajadd.co.uk American Journal of Advanced Drug Delivery www.ajadd.co.uk Original Article Drug Loading and Release from Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Loaded With 6-Mercaptopurine Using Incipient Wetness Impregnation Method Saurav Ghoshal* 1 , Swatantra Kumar Singh Kushwaha 2 , Mayank Srivastava 1 and Pallavi Tiwari 1 1 Shambhunath Institute of Pharmacy, Jhalwa, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 211012 2 Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology, Bhauti, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 209305 ABSTRACT The present work was an attempt to investigate the potentialities of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) as a carrier for targeting 6 Mercaptopurine to cancer tissues. MWCNTs were carboxy functionalized and then loaded with 6 Mercaptopurine (6MP) using the Incipient Wetness impregnation method to produce 6MP loaded CNTs. The conjugate was characterized for drug loading efficiency, in vitro drug release and release kinetics. The result indicated that a maximum of about 65% entrapment was achieved. The loaded nanotubes were shown to release the drug for more than 20 hours and thus controlling the release. The release was found to follow the Zero Order and Hixson Crowell release pattern. Our work established a novel, easy to prepare formulation of MWCNTs with better drug loading efficiency and increased dispersibility of CNTs and thus improved bioavailability at cancer site with reduced systemic toxicity. Keywords: Multiwalled carbon nanotubes, 6-Mercaptopurine, Anticancer, Incipient wetness impregnation method. Date of Receipt- 06/03/2014 Date of Revision- 13/03/2014 Date of Acceptance- 20/03/2014 Address for Correspondence Shambhunath Institute of Pharmacy, Jhalwa, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 211012. Tel. +91-9026298672. E-mail: saurav.ghoshalpharma @gmail.com