Hybrid hydrogels based on agarose, halloysite nanotubes and polyvinyl alcohol: An excellent nanocarrier for controlled release of 5-fluorouracil

Abstract

Nanotechnology, rather than traditional medicinal procedures like chemotherapy, now helps to reduce adverse effects. There is a great demand for a biocompatible nanocarrier with a long half-life, high bioavailability, and capable of imaging cells and targeting them selectively. A procedure known as water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsification was employed to produce hybrid nanohydrogels containing agarose, polyvinyl alcohol, halloysite nanotubes, and 5-fluorouracil (AGA-PVA-HNT@5-Fu) which can be highly effective for decreasing the particle size of nanohydrogels and improving their uniformity. These hydrogels were produced to specifically target and administer the 5-Fu anti-cancer drug for the treatment of breast cancer. Following the evaluation of physicochemical characteristics, both a substantial drug loading and efficient trapping were accomplished. The nanohydrogels displayed a zeta potential of −38.4 mV indicative of a good stability due to the usage of span 80. Based on the drug release profile conducted in vitro, it was observed that AGA-PVA-HNT@5-Fu released the medication in a regulated way. By using MTT and flow cytometry analysis, it was found that AGA-PVA-HNT@5-Fu could effectively eliminate tumor cells, while the blank nanoparticles proved to be biocompatible. The results indicate that hybrid nanohydrogels based on AGA-PVA-HNT@5-Fu can be utilized as nanohydrogels for treating breast cancer.