Methotrexate sodium loaded Tween 80 stabilised gold nanoparticles: synthesis and characterisation

Cancer is a disease characterised by uncontrolled multiplication and spread of abnormal forms of the body's own cells. Methotrexate sodium is an antineoplastic agent of the anti-metabolite class of chemotherapy drugs, which inhibits dihydrofolate reductase and blocking the conversion of dihydrofolic acid to tetrahydrofolic acid. Metal nanoparticles such as gold nanoparticles are having a smaller size, more stable and relatively narrow size distribution which provide opportunities for effective active or passive targeted delivery. Thus, the gold nanoparticles were synthesised using a chemical reduction method, involving the reduction of chloroauric acid by trisodium citrate, stabilised by Tween 80 and Methotrexate sodium was loaded on to it. Physical observations and FTIR analysis showed that drug and excipients pass the drug-excipient compatibility study. The present work reports a significant and a simple, process capable of synthesising size-controlled Tween 80 stabilised gold nanoparticles rapidly under ambient conditions.