Novel poly(NIPA-co-AAc) functional hydrogels with potential application in drug controlled release

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Hydrogels are versatile polymeric networks capable of absorbing large amounts of water.
• pH and thermosensitive hydrogels exhibit volume phase transitions in response to changes in pH and temperature, respectively.
• Developing novel hydrogel systems with tailored properties is crucial for advanced drug delivery applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel pH/thermosensitive hydrogels based on acrylic acid (AAc) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA).
• To evaluate the drug-loading capacity and in vitro release kinetics of ofloxacin (OFL) from these hydrogels.
• To explore the potential pharmaceutical applications of these AAc-NIPA hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of hydrogels using acrylic acid (AAc), N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA), and (+)-N,N'-diallyltartramide (DAT) as a cross-linker in water.
• Characterization of hydrogel properties, including pH and thermosensitivity.
• Incorporation of ofloxacin (OFL) as a model drug to assess drug loading and in vitro release studies at pH 1.2 and 6.8.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and characterization of AAc-NIPA based hydrogels.
• Demonstrated drug load capacity for ofloxacin (OFL).
• Distinct in vitro release profiles of OFL were observed at different pH values (1.2 and 6.8), indicating pH-dependent release behavior.

Conclusions:

• The incorporation of AAc into NIPA-based hydrogels modifies their properties, enabling ionic interactions with oppositely charged drugs.
• These novel hydrogels exhibit tunable drug release profiles, particularly in response to pH changes.
• The developed AAc-NIPA hydrogels show promise for pharmaceutical applications in drug delivery systems.