Design and Evaluation of Cacao Oil‐Derived Organo‐Hydrogels for Controlled 5‐Fluorouracil Delivery

Abstract

The development of safe and efficient drug delivery systems remains a major challenge in modern medicine. In this study, novel organo‐hydrogels were designed to provide controlled and targeted transport of therapeutic agents to specific sites within the body, aiming to minimize side effects and enhance treatment efficacy. Organo‐hydrogels were synthesized using Agar (A), Glycerol (G), and Cocoa Oil (CcO) via free radical polymerization. N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) and glutaraldehyde (GA) were used as cross‐linkers, and varying concentrations of CcO were incorporated to evaluate the influence of oil content on the hydrogel structure and functionality. The materials were characterized in terms of their swelling behavior under different solvents and pH conditions, chemical composition (FTIR), hemocompatibility, and antioxidant properties. To assess their drug delivery potential, 5‐Fluorouracil (5‐Flu) was used as a model drug, and in vitro release studies were conducted at 37.5°C under physiological pH (7.4). The organo‐hydrogels achieved a steady release of 5‐Flu over six hours, with maximum release rates of 40% for p(AGmCcO) and 38.83% for p(AGgCcO). Kinetic modeling indicated that the release followed Higuchi and Korsmeyer–Peppas diffusion models, suggesting a diffusion‐controlled mechanism. Overall, the developed organo‐hydrogels exhibited high biocompatibility, cost‐effectiveness, and environmental friendliness. These findings highlight their potential as promising candidates for controlled and targeted drug delivery applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields.