Comparative Study of Alginate- and Gum Arabic-Based Liposomal Carboplatin Delivery System

Carboplatin is a common chemotherapeutic drug that has systemic toxicity and low selectivity. This study compares two liposomal drug delivery systems based on natural materials, alginate and gum Arabic, and evaluates the effect of the polymer structure on nanoparticle characteristics, drug release, and anticancer activity. The novelty of this work is the direct link between the polymer architecture and the performance of the drug delivery system on the same platform. Nanoscale formulations were successfully prepared for both formulations. The particle size of gum Arabic was significantly smaller (50 nm) than that of the alginate (170 nm). TEM confirmed the presence of vesicles in both systems, with alginate particles appearing larger and showing some aggregation, whereas the gum Arabic particles showed a more uniform, well-dispersed morphology. The entrapment efficiency obtained was 78% for gum Arabic and 75% for alginate, and drug loading was 10% and 6.25%, respectively. Drug release studies showed pH-responsive behavior, with a faster release rate at acidic pH (∼5.8). The gum Arabic formulation exhibited a faster diffusion-driven release, whereas the alginate formulation showed a more controlled release. They showed greater efficacy, with IC50 values reduced from 93 μg/mL (free drug) to 19.3 μg/mL (gum Arabic) and 46 μg/mL (alginate) in cytotoxicity assays. The gum Arabic system shows superior performance due to its smaller particle size and good dispersion, which facilitates cellular uptake and drug diffusion; this underscores the importance of polymer structure for optimal targeted cancer therapy.