Development and Evaluation of Fluconazole-Loaded Nanocellulose-Based Three-Dimensional Polymeric Scaffolds Derived from Agricultural Biomass for Sustained Drug Delivery Applications
Keywords:
Nanocellulose, Polymeric scaffold, Fluconazole, Sustained drug delivery, Rice straw, Wheat straw, 3D scaffold, BiomaterialAbstract
The development of biocompatible and sustainable polymeric drug delivery systems has gained significant attention due to the increasing demand for controlled release formulations with improved therapeutic performance. Nanocellulose, a renewable nanoscale biomaterial obtained from lignocellulosic sources, possesses unique characteristics including high surface area, biodegradability, mechanical strength, excellent swelling capacity and compatibility with various pharmaceutical polymers. The present research work aimed to design, formulate and evaluate fluconazole-loaded nanocellulose-based three-dimensional (3D) polymeric scaffolds for sustained localized drug delivery applications.
In this investigation, agricultural residues including rice straw and wheat straw were utilized as economical and renewable sources for extraction of nanocellulose. Rice nanocellulose fibers (RNF) and wheat nanocellulose fibers (WNF) were isolated through sequential alkaline treatment, bleaching and acid hydrolysis methods. The extracted nanocellulose was further modified using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), Eudragit E100 coating and trisodium trimetaphosphate (STMP)-mediated gellan gum crosslinking approaches to enhance structural integrity and drug delivery performance.
The prepared nanocellulose and polymeric scaffolds were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), particle size analysis and other evaluation techniques. The developed scaffolds were evaluated for physicochemical characteristics including porosity, swelling behaviour, mechanical strength, mucoadhesive properties, drug release behaviour and antifungal performance.
The results demonstrated successful extraction of nanocellulose from rice and wheat straw with good yield and desirable physicochemical characteristics. Fluconazole-loaded scaffolds showed porous morphology, improved mechanical stability, excellent mucoadhesion and sustained drug release characteristics. Among various modification strategies, Eudragit-coated and STMP-gellan crosslinked scaffolds exhibited superior performance.
The study concluded that agricultural waste-derived nanocellulose-based 3D polymeric scaffolds represent a promising, eco-friendly and effective platform for sustained localized pharmaceutical drug delivery applications.
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