Doxorubicin-loaded oxidized starch/poly (vinyl alcohol)/CuO bio-nanocomposite hydrogels as an anticancer drug carrier agent

Abstract

In this paper, the bio-nanocomposites were used as a potential candidate for controlled release of anticancer drug doxorubicin. Formation of CuO nanoparticles in hydrogels was confirmed using FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, TGA and DSC. In addition, gel content, swelling/de-swelling, antibacterial properties, and drug release profiles were evaluated. The swelling and drug release profiles revealed that the amount of drug released and swelling of the hydrogels depended on the oxidized starch content, pH, and CuO nanoparticle content. Prolonged and more controlled drug releases were observed for CuO nanoparticle containing oxidized starch/PVA hydrogels, which increased with the rise in CuO nanoparticle content.