To sum up

Pros

Connections of flavonoids with iron oxide-based nanoparticles resulted in materi-als of interesting physicochemical and anticancer potential, as well as prospective applications as drug delivery platforms. Iron oxide-based nanoparticles were functionalized with quercetin, eupatorin, silibinin, EGCG, and baicalin to study their prospective medical applications. Several types of polymers, e.g., PLGA, PEG, PCL, CMC, and PVP, as well as meso-porous silica, were used for surface functionalization of iron oxide-based nano-particles, which increased the stability of flavonoid-nanoparticle conjugates and impacted the controlled release of organic molecules. The surface functionalization of iron oxide nanoparticles with the use of quercetin reduced their toxicity to healthy cells. Iron oxide-based nanoparticles, especially super-paramagnetic iron oxide nano-particles (SPIONs) loaded with curcumin and silymarin, demonstrated potential as theranostic agents for anticancer treatment.

Cons

For most of the nanoparticles directed against cancers, the MIC/ID50 values were not specified. There are no comparative studies of standard cancer therapy with and without the particular DDS. There is a lack of information about the selectivity index of the synthesized NPs, which is an important parameter allowing us to assess their effectiveness.