Research Article

Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System

Volume: 8 Number: 2 September 15, 2025

Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System

Abstract

Methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA) hydrogels combined with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) were developed as temperature-responsive carriers for the sustained delivery of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). MeHA was synthesized via glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) modification and confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H-NMR) analyses. Four MeHA–NIPA hydrogel compositions (10/90, 20/80, 30/70, and 40/60) were prepared through redox polymerization. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that increasing MeHA content shifted the volume phase transition temperature above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPA, owing to hydrogen bonding and enhanced crosslink density. Swelling studies at 25, 30, and 40 °C showed clear thermo-responsive behavior, with maximum water uptake observed at 25 °C. Drug loading efficiency correlated with swelling, reaching the highest value (85.2 ± 2.1%) for MeHA–NIPA-1, while the hydrogel with the highest crosslink density (MeHA–NIPA-4) exhibited the lowest capacity. In vitro release experiments at 37 °C (pH 7.4) demonstrated distinct composition-dependent profiles. MeHA–NIPA-3 achieved the fastest and highest cumulative release (~90%), while MeHA–NIPA-4 provided the most sustained release (~83–85%) over seven days. Kinetic modeling indicated that the release mechanism followed Fickian diffusion, best described by Weibull (R² = 0.903–0.977) and Korsmeyer–Peppas models (R² = 0.891–0.967). Shape parameter (β < 0.3) values confirmed diffusion-controlled transport. Overall, MeHA–NIPA hydrogels successfully integrated HA’s biocompatibility with PNIPA’s thermal responsiveness, enabling tunable 5-FU delivery. These findings highlight their potential as intelligent systems for controlled chemotherapy applications.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Chemical Reaction

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

September 15, 2025

Submission Date

August 29, 2025

Acceptance Date

September 5, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 8 Number: 2

APA
Sennaroglu Bostan, M. (2025). Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System. Journal of the Turkish Chemical Society Section B: Chemical Engineering, 8(2), 275-296. https://doi.org/10.58692/jotcsb.1773615
AMA
1.Sennaroglu Bostan M. Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System. JOTCSB. 2025;8(2):275-296. doi:10.58692/jotcsb.1773615
Chicago
Sennaroglu Bostan, Muge. 2025. “Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System”. Journal of the Turkish Chemical Society Section B: Chemical Engineering 8 (2): 275-96. https://doi.org/10.58692/jotcsb.1773615.
EndNote
Sennaroglu Bostan M (September 1, 2025) Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System. Journal of the Turkish Chemical Society Section B: Chemical Engineering 8 2 275–296.
IEEE
[1]M. Sennaroglu Bostan, “Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System”, JOTCSB, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 275–296, Sept. 2025, doi: 10.58692/jotcsb.1773615.
ISNAD
Sennaroglu Bostan, Muge. “Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System”. Journal of the Turkish Chemical Society Section B: Chemical Engineering 8/2 (September 1, 2025): 275-296. https://doi.org/10.58692/jotcsb.1773615.
JAMA
1.Sennaroglu Bostan M. Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System. JOTCSB. 2025;8:275–296.
MLA
Sennaroglu Bostan, Muge. “Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System”. Journal of the Turkish Chemical Society Section B: Chemical Engineering, vol. 8, no. 2, Sept. 2025, pp. 275-96, doi:10.58692/jotcsb.1773615.
Vancouver
1.Muge Sennaroglu Bostan. Tailoring Drug Release through Thermoresponsive MeHA–NIPA Hydrogels: A 5-Fluorouracil Model System. JOTCSB. 2025 Sep. 1;8(2):275-96. doi:10.58692/jotcsb.1773615

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J. Turk. Chem. Soc., Sect. B: Chem. Eng. (JOTCSB)