Preparation and Characterization of 5‐Fluorouracil Loaded Cellulose and Exosome Nanocarriers: Sustained Release Behavior and Cytotoxicity Studies

In recent years, much effort has been devoted to designing nanoparticle drug delivery systems and improving the efficacy of anticancer drugs. This study focused on the preparation of a novel biocompatible nanocarrier based on bacterial cellulose (BC) in the presence of exosome (Exo) for the controlled release of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU), known as 5‐FU.Exo@BC. The physicochemical properties of 5‐FU.Exo@BC were thoroughly characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). These results confirmed the successful preparation of 5‐FU.Exo@BC. The release behavior of 5‐FU.Exo@BC compared with 5‐FU and 5‐FU@BC demonstrated a significant sustained release over 162 h. The release mechanism of the above three systems followed Korsmeyer‐Peppas with non‐Fickian diffusion for 5‐FU@BC and 5‐FU.Exo@BC. Furthermore, the viability of HT‐29 cells (human colon cancer cell lines) against BC, 5‐FU@BC and 5‐FU.Exo@BC indicated that 5‐FU has promising efficacy in 5‐FU.Exo@BC system. Subsequently, the prepared bio‐nanocomposite could be suggested as a potential drug delivery system with an effective controlled‐release function. The designed nanocarriers based on cellulose and exosome are appropriate for improving drug delivery efficacy and reducing the side effects of 5‐flurouracil as an anticancer drug.