Polymeric β-cyclodextrin/alginate/Colocasia esculenta mucilage (β-CD/Alg/CEM) nanocomposites for the controlled delivery of 5-fluorouracil.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a widely used cytotoxic chemotherapy drug in cancer management; its effectiveness in therapy is reduced due to a short half-life and toxic effects on healthy cells. This study aimed to overcome these limitations by preparing β-cyclodextrin/alginate/Colocasia esculenta mucilage (β-CD/Alg/CEM) nanocomposites containing 5-FU, designed for controlled release in various pH environments. Stable nanocomposites were successfully synthesized through the ionotropic gelation technique, achieving a drug content of 87.33 ± 1.75%, while the %age yield was found to be 79.06 ± 0.53%. Particle size analysis revealed a range of 80-100 nm with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.611. The zeta potential analysis showed that the nanocomposites possessed a surface charge of -27.1 mV. The nanocomposites displayed a porous and irregular morphology with a notably rough surface. In the acidic conditions of simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2), the 5-FU release was markedly less than in the neutral conditions of simulated colorectal fluid (pH 7.4), indicating effective pH-sensitive release properties. The cytotoxic assay confirmed significant tumor-suppressive activity against MCF-7 and minimal effect on normal cells.