Enhancement of the solubility of 5-fluorouracil through encapsulation within β-cyclodextrin to control fibroblast growth in glaucoma surgery

Abstract

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an antimetabolite agent used in chemotherapy and wound healing management, with low solubility and bioavailability. To overcome these challenges, this study explores the encapsulation of 5-FU within β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). The inclusion complex was prepared using the solubilization process, and its stability was evaluated under a variety of light, temperature, and pH environments. The complex was integrated into a drug delivery system using a layer-by-layer (LBL) technique, and the 5-FU release kinetics in a phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBS) were monitored using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to improve the conditions for encapsulating 5-FU in the β-CD cavity and to study the stability of the inclusion complex under different light, temperature and pH conditions. The results show that encapsulation promotes the solubility of the drug, with increased absorbance intensity at a 1 : 1 molar ratio in a basic solution. The β-CD:5-FU complex was perfectly incorporated into a drug delivery system with controlled drug release over time.