Albumin-coated biochar derived from Brassica napus L. as a sustainable carrier for controlled drug delivery

Official URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13399-026-07231-6

The development of sustainable and biocompatible carriers is critical for next-generation biomaterials and therapeutic systems. Biochars (BCs) derived from lignocellulosic biomass offer the combined advantages of sustainability, tunable porosity, and cost-effectiveness, yet their potential in biomedical delivery platforms remains underexplored. In this study, hierarchical porous BCs were synthesized from rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) stalks through carbonization followed by KOH activation at two different temperatures (600 °C and 800 °C). The activation temperature altered the surface and pore characteristics of the BCs, which in turn influenced their BSA adsorption and procaine loading–release behaviors. The BCs were then evaluated as a biosorbent to adsorb bovine serum albumin (BSA) and to load procaine, a model anesthetic drug. Notably, the biochar activated at 600 °C (RS6a) exhibited the highest protein adsorption capacity, while the sample activated at 800 °C and coated with BSA (RS8a-1:7) showed superior procaine release performance. All produced BCs demonstrated negligible cytotoxicity in fibroblast cultures, confirming their biocompatibility across a broad dose range. This study provides the first demonstration of albumin-coated biochar for local anesthetic delivery and highlights its potential as a sustainable, biocompatible carrier for controlled drug release, tissue engineering, and other biomedical applications.