Development and evaluation of functional nanoemulsion gel using eco-friendly fucoidan for drug delivery applications

Abstract

This study presents a drug delivery system that incorporates the principles of a circular economy by combining Sargassum cristaefolium fucoidan (ScF) with nanoemulsions (NEs). ScF was extracted using a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable hot water-based process. The physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro biocompatibility of ScF-added NEs, composed of three surfactants and evening primrose oil, were comprehensively studied. The results showed that the addition of ScF enabled NEs to form a gel state, exhibiting better performance than NEs without ScF. The physicochemical and thermal behavior of the NE-ScF gels were significantly affected by the NE formula and ScF weight ratio. Additionally, ScF improved the storage stability and in vitro biocompatibility of NEs. Furthermore, ScF enhanced the free radical-scavenging capacity of NEs when used as a delivery vehicle for the model drug quercetin. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that ScF provides several advantages to NEs, and NE-ScF gels hold significant potential as a platform for hydrophobic drug delivery applications.