Researchers developed biocompatible hydrogels containing CBD and CBN designed for controlled cannabinoid delivery to soft tissue. The formulations provided sustained release for up to 72 hours, showed selective antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, and remained noncytotoxic to human skin fibroblasts, supporting their potential use in localized drug delivery and tissue-engineering applications

“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