ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Cr-MOF-SAs: in situ preparation, characterization and controlled drug release studies with cephalexin

Sevval Beyza Bozkurt, Alper Celik, and Lalehan Akyuz

Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science and Letters, Aksaray University, Aksaray, Turkey

E-mail: sevvalbeyzabozkurt1310@gmail.com

Received: 10 July 2025  Accepted: 13 December 2025

Abstract:

Administered four times daily, the conventional dosing regimen of cephalexin (CPX) remains common and causes various side effects. The development of controlled release carrier systems could be a solution to address these side effects. The present study aims to develop and evaluate controlled release systems utilizing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and sodium alginate composite hydrogel beads for CPX. Therefore, we synthesized Cr-MOF-SA composite hydrogel beads using the in-situ growth method for the CPX release. Using characterization tools like SEM, XRD, TGA, BET, and FT-IR, we formed two distinct Cr-MOF-SAs using different in situ methods, each with varying release capacities. The drug loading was conducted via the adsorption method, and the in vitro release mechanisms were examined at physiological pH levels. The results revealed the low loading and encapsulation capacity of hydrogels. While MI-MOF-SA-D demonstrated a burst release effect, MI-MOF-SA-A and Cr-SA showed no burst release, with sustained release persisting for 24 h at 14% and 22%, respectively. The experimental data from all hydrogels demonstrates a strong fit with the Korsmeyer-Peppas model with an n < 0.5. The results help us learn more about how carriers behave with different chemical makes when CPX is released. This suggests that they might be useful as alternatives to solve problems caused by how often these drugs need to be taken.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: MOF-SA composites; Controlled release; Drug delivery; Kinetic models

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04602-7

Chemical Papers 80 (5) 4961–4972 (2026)