Regulated Drug Release Abilities of Calcium Carbonate-Gelatin Hybrid Nanocarriers Fabricated via a Self-Organizational Process

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the drug-releasing behavior of a calcium carbonate (CaCO₃ )-gelatin hybrid nanocarrier, fabricated through a single process using biomimetic mineralization. The organic scaffold (gelatin) of the fabricated nanocarrier is responsible for its capacity to load anionic drugs and for controlling the morphology of the inorganic matrix (CaCO₃ ). We studied the drug-releasing properties of the nanocarrier by investigating the response of the CaCO₃ matrix to acidic conditions. We found that under neutral conditions, drug release from the nanocarrier was inhibited, whereas under acidic conditions, the drug was efficiently released. Therefore, drug release from the nanocarrier is largely dependent on the surrounding pH.

Keywords: biomineralization; controlled release; drug delivery; gelatin; pH responsivity.