Magnetoresponsive biocomposite hydrogels comprising gelatin and valine based magnetic ionic liquid surfactant as controlled release nanocarrier for drug delivery

Abstract

The utilization of biopolymer hydrogels has been challenging due to the lack of controllability, actuation, and quick-response properties. Herein, we report a strategic nanoparticle-free approach toward magnetoresponsive biocomposite hydrogels by combining a biopolymer (gelatin) and vesicles of essential amino acid (valine)-based magnetic ionic liquid surfactant [ValC₁₆][FeCl₄], and explored their potency as drug delivery nanocarriers. Self-assembly characteristics of [ValC₁₆][FeCl₄] have been investigated using surface tension, pyrene fluorescence, specific conductivity, DLS, and TEM measurements. The biocompatible nature of [ValC₁₆][FeCl₄] was confirmed by investigating its physiochemical interaction with animal DNA using circular dichroism, zeta potential, agarose gel electrophoresis, and ethidium bromide exclusion assay test. The gel strength and magnetic behavior of the prepared biocomposite magnetoresponsive hydrogels were measured using rheology and vibrating sample magnetometry techniques, respectively. The constructed biocomposite hydrogel has been employed as drug delivery carriers for an antibiotic drug (ornidazole) and an anticancer drug (5-fluorouracil). The encapsulation efficiency of ornidazole and 5-fluorouracil in the magnetic biocomposite gel was found to be 69 ± 0.6% and 78 ± 0.3%, respectively. Since magnetoresponsive biomaterials can be manipulated spatiotemporally via an external magnetic field, the prepared nanoparticle-free magnetoresponsive hydrogels can be promising candidates as active scaffolds for advanced drug delivery and tissue regeneration applications.