Magnetite-Functionalized Plumbagin For Therapeutic Applications

Synthesis of hybrid drug molecules from naturally occurring organic compounds has potential applications in several fields, including theranostics. In this work, we report the extraction of plumbagin from the roots of Plumbago indica L. and used it as a precursor to prepare plumbagin-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles (PFMNPs). The derived PFMNPs were analyzed using analytical techniques to understand their structural characteristics and chemical environment. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy confirmed the possibility of atomic interactions between plumbagin and magnetite nanoparticles. More importantly, we demonstrated the slow-release behavior of plumbagin and antimicrobial activity of the synthesized PFMNPs, which exhibited exciting activity, signifying the potential possibility of these materials in pharmaceutical industries. In general, pristine plumbagin's practical applicability is very limited due to its high volatility and low photo and thermal stability. However, plumbagin's magnetite functionalization was found to improve the photo-thermal stability, displaying significant control over release behavior. More importantly, the synthesized PFMNPs exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility, demonstrating the potential possibility of these materials in pharmaceutical industries.