Controlled Release of Quercetin from HPMC/gellan Gum Hydrogel for Inhibiting Melanogenesis in Murine Melanoma Cells

Although quercetin inhibits melanogenesis, it is cytotoxic at high concentrations. Recent studies have actively investigated carriers for the controlled release of functional drugs at desired concentrations. In this study, porous hydrogel carriers were prepared using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and gellan gum for the controlled release of quercetin, which acts as a whitening agent. The physical properties and release characteristics of quercetin from HPMC and gellan gum were measured. In a toxicity test using B16F10 melanoma cells, quercetin decreased cell viability at concentrations above 20 µM. Therefore, we used the HPMC (H)/gellan gum (G) hydrogel with H1/G9, H2/G8, H3/G7, H4/G6, and H5/G5 (w/w) ratios at a final solid content of 4% to control quercetin release at a non-cytotoxic level. Stiffness of the hydrogel increased, and the pore size became finer with a higher gellan gum content. Quercetin release rate from the HPMC/gellan gum hydrogel decreased with increasing content of gellan gum; for example, the release rate of quercetin from the H1/G9 hydrogel was approximately half of that from the H5/G5 hydrogel. These results suggest that the HPMC/gellan hydrogel may be a useful delivery vehicle to release quercetin, a whitening agent, at non-cytotoxic concentrations.