Redox/pH dual stimuli-responsive degradable Salecan-g-SS-poly(IA-co-HEMA) hydrogel for release of doxorubicin

• Salecan-g-SS-PIH hydrogel presented an obviously pH-dependent DOX release behavior.
• DOX-loaded hydrogels showed dose dependent cytotoxicity toward A549 cell.
• Efficient cell killing was observed for DOX-loaded hydrogels.
• The hydrogel can totally degrade in the reductive environment.

Salecan is a novel water-soluble extracellular β-glucan and possesses excellent physicochemical and biological properties. Here, redox/pH dual stimuli-responsive hydrogel based on Salecan grafted with itaconic acid (IA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were prepared using disulfide-functionalized crosslinker N,N-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BAC) for controlled drug delivery. The introduction of carboxylic groups endows the system with pH-sensitive character, swelling behavior of the hydrogel was conducted by changing the pH and Salecan content. It was demonstrated that DOX was efficiently loaded into the hydrogels and released in a controlled fashion via pH-control and swelling-shrinking mechanism. More importantly, DOX-loaded hydrogels showed dose dependent cytotoxicity toward A549 cell, and efficient cell killing was observed. Furthermore, a key point of this study was that the presence of disulfide linkage in system favored the degradation of hydrogels in the reductive environment. These results highlight the potential of Salecan-g-SS-poly(IA-co-HEMA) hydrogel as a novel system for the controlled release of anti-cancer drugs.