Development of Pectin‐<i>graft</i>‐poly(4‐acryloylmorpholine) Embedded with Silver Nanoparticles as a Dual Drug Delivery System for Sustained Release of 5‐Fluorouracil and Curcumin

Abstract This study reports the preparation of pectin‐ graf t‐poly(4‐acryloylmorpholine) silver nanocomposite hydrogel (Pec‐ g ‐PAcM‐AgNPs) as a dual drug delivery system (DDDS) for sustained release of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) and curcumin (CUR). The matrix material was made in aqueous medium and characterized by various techniques. Higher swelling and drug release were observed at pH 7.4 than at pH 1.2. The drug loading efficiency of the nanocomposite was determined to be 39.1 mg g −1 for 5‐FU and 42.8 mg g −1 for CUR. About 93.9% of 5‐FU and 72.2% of CUR were released from the nanocomposite at pH 7.4 during 24 h. The drug release kinetics and mechanism were best fitted to the first‐order kinetic and Higuchi square rootmodels, respectively. The release of 5‐FU and CUR adhered to the Fickian and non‐Fickian diffusion mechanism, respectively. The cell viability of the drug‐loaded nanocomposite was above 85%, indicating cytocompatibility of the developed polymer matrix. The results highlight the potential of the prepared nanocomposite as a suitable DDDS for enhancing bioavailability of 5‐FU and CUR in the gastrointestinal tract for cancer therapy.