Magnetically Responsive Hydrogels Constructed From Xanthan Gum and Sodium Citrate for Controlled Drug Release

The present study involves the development of a hydrogel membrane by the cross-linking of xanthan gum (XG) and sodium citrate (SC) by a dehydration condensation reaction. The hydrophobic cavities of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) are integrated into this system, and the hydrogel system that has been successfully fabricated can be used for drug delivery. Moreover, a hydrogel-based delivery platform was developed by incorporating varying concentrations of magnetic nanoparticles, enabling the modulation of drug release rates through external magnetic field stimulation. This drug delivery system enables regulation of drug release efficiency through tuning the applied magnetic field, whereas an increase in the dose of magnetic nanoparticles will improve the efficiency of drug release. The experimental findings suggested that the drug sustained-release performance of the XG/SC/HPCD drug-loaded hydrogel film was effectively enhanced under an applied magnetic field. Specifically, the drug release after 300 min from the hydrogel film containing 15% magnetic nanoparticles was 67% lower with the magnetic field applied compared to without it. Furthermore, biocompatibility tests (Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay) showed that the cell viability of L929 fibroblasts remained at approximately 99% after 4 h, confirming that this series of hydrogel films possesses good cytocompatibility and exhibits no cytotoxicity.