Study on Controlled Release of 5-Fluorouracil from Gelatin/Chitosan Microspheres

The microspheres based on gelatin (Gel) and chitosan (Cs) were prepared by a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion crosslinking method using glutaraldehyde (GA) as a crosslinker. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), as an anticancer drug, was successfully loaded into the Gel/Cs microspheres. The release behavior of 5-FU was investigated with the microspheres acting as carriers for controlled release. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the formation of the microspheres is spherical with the size around 300 μm. The release patterns depend on the composition of Gel/Cs microspheres, content of crosslinker and drug content in the microspheres. The cumulative drug release of 5-FU from the microspheres decreased with increasing GA content; however, the cumulative drug release increased with increasing Gel mass ratio and 5-FU content in the microspheres. The results of 5-FU release kinetics for Gel/Cs microspheres indicated Fickian diffusion.