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In this work, we have formulated novel nanospheres that could be used in the controlled release of the anticancer drug, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The nanospheres are composed of magnetite, containing chitosan (CS) and methylcellulose (MC). The drug entrapment was achieved through the encapsulation and adsorption processes. The effects of the preparation conditions, such as magnetite content, CS/MC ratio, crosslinking concentration, exposure time to glutaraldehyde (GA), and the drug/polymer ratio were investigated for both processes. The 5-FU release was found to follow the Fickian mechanism, and the Langmuir isotherm for the nanospheres was achieved through encapsulation and adsorption processes, respectively.

Starch is a natural polymer that is among the sustainable materials and has the characteristics of being a green material in harmony with nature. In this study, a potential transdermal release system was evaluated by investigating 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) transfer through starch/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membranes in vitro. The effects of membrane thickness, starch/PVA blending ratio, pH, and temperature on the release of 5‐FU from the membranes were studied. At the end of the study, it was deduced that decrease in pH reduces the released amount of 5‐FU from starch/PVA membranes and 5‐FU transfer from membranes could be controlled within a fairly constant range. The diffusion coefficient was determined as 4.84× 10−3, 4.49× 10−3 and 2.54× 10−3 cm2 s−1 for the pH of 7.4, 5.5, and 3.5, respectively. The activation energy for the permeation 5‐FU from starch/PVA membrane (60/40, v/v) was found to be 9.72 kJ mol−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]