Magnetic field-driven drug release from modified iron oxide-integrated polysaccharide hydrogel

Salecan is a novel water-soluble extracellular β-glucan and suitable for the hydrogel preparation due to its excellent physicochemical and biological properties. The present article describes the fabrication and characterization of a pH/magnetic field-driven hydrogel based on salecan-g-poly(vinylacetic acid-co-2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) [poly(VA-co-HEA)] copolymer and Fe₃O₄@Agarose nanoparticles for drug release testing. Vibrating sample magnetometer characterization verified that integration of Fe₃O₄@Agarose nanoparticles in the copolymer provided the sensitivity to magnetic fields. The doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) release test showed a pH/magnetic field-triggered and sustained release property, and the release could be accelerated under mildly acidic conditions or the presence of an external magnetic field. Meanwhile, the increase in salecan content could also enhance the release rate. Cytotoxicity assays revealed that the released DOX maintained relatively high killing efficacy of A549 cells. In sum, these salecan-g-poly(VA-co-HEA)/Fe₃O₄@Agarose hydrogels were well-suited for magnetically targeted drug delivery systems.