“Agar/xanthan hydrogels incorporating hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) inclusion complexes of nonpsychoactive cannabinoids (cannabidiol, CBD; cannabinol, CBN) were developed as multifunctional biomaterials for controlled delivery and antimicrobial soft-tissue biomedical applications.

Physicochemical characterization showed improved thermal stability, tunable hydrophilicity, and a porous network suitable for loading and release. In vitro release studies demonstrated sustained cannabinoid delivery over 72 h, following first-order and Fu-Kao kinetic models.

The hydrogels exhibited selective antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, while remaining inactive toward Escherichia coli. Cytocompatibility assays with human skin fibroblasts confirmed noncytotoxic behavior over 7 days for all hydrogel formulations tested.

These results highlight that cyclodextrin-cannabinoid-loaded agar/xanthan hydrogels are promising biocompatible platforms for controlled delivery with antimicrobial activity, suitable for tissue engineering applications.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42597876

“All these results demonstrate that combining agar/xanthan hydrogels with HPβ-CD–cannabinoid inclusion complexes yields multifunctional, biocompatible materials with controlled release and selective antibacterial activity, making them promising candidates for soft-tissue local controlled-release applications.”

https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/11/31/46955/5232225/Biocompatible-Cyclodextrin-Cannabinoid-Agar