Salmon bone-derived chondroitin sulfate nanogels for controlled delivery of curcumin: release behavior, structural characteristics and anti-inflammatory efficacy.

Authors

Quang Van Ngo, Nguyen Chi Nguyen, Hong Thi Pham, Cuong Duc Ho, Thu Thi Minh Quach, Thuy Thi Thu Thanh

Published in

RSC advances. Volume 16. Issue 46. Pages 60118-60129. Oct 21, 2026. Epub Oct 05, 2026.

Abstract

Marine-derived polysaccharides have emerged as sustainable biomaterials for advanced drug delivery; however, the relationship between their molecular organization and drug release behavior remains insufficiently understood. In this study, chondroitin sulfate (CS) extracted from salmon bone was utilized to fabricate Ca²⁺-crosslinked nanogels for the controlled delivery of curcumin (Cur). The optimized nanogels exhibited a hydrodynamic diameter of 217.3 ± 15.6 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.25 ± 0.02, and a negative zeta potential of -26.9 ± 0.14 mV, indicating good colloidal stability. Comprehensive structural characterization via FT-IR and XRD indicated that the nanogel framework is stabilized by Ca²⁺-mediated ionic crosslinking and multi-point hydrogen bonding. Notably, XRD analysis revealed that while encapsulated curcumin primarily adopts an amorphous molecular dispersion, the emergence of a specific reflection at 2θ ≈ 14° suggests that a minor fraction adopts a locally ordered state stabilized within the nanogel microenvironment. The nanogels demonstrated a sustained biphasic release profile governed by anomalous (non-Fickian) diffusion (n = 0.711). Furthermore, in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, the CS-Cur nanogels showed significantly enhanced anti-inflammatory efficacy and high biocompatibility compared to free curcumin. These findings highlight salmon bone-derived CS as a sustainable, high-performance matrix for hydrophobic drug delivery, providing new insights into the role of cargo-induced structural organization in regulating therapeutic release and biological performance.

PMID:
42835591
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 26 Oct 2026.

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