Liposome-loaded chitosan physical hydrogel: toward a promising delayed-release biosystem

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Developing advanced drug delivery systems is crucial for improving therapeutic efficacy.
• Liposomes and hydrogels are widely investigated for controlled release applications.
• Chitosan hydrogels offer biocompatibility and biodegradability for biomedical uses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create and characterize an innovative hybrid biosystem for delayed drug release.
• To evaluate the encapsulation and release profile of a model drug within the hybrid system.
• To demonstrate the role of liposomes in achieving sustained release within a chitosan matrix.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a hybrid system comprising phosphatidylcholine liposomes within a chitosan physical hydrogel.
• Characterization of the hydrogel matrix using rheological measurements.
• Visualization of liposome integration using fluorescence and cryo-scanning electron microscopy.
• Assessment of delayed-release using carboxyfluorescein (CF) as a model drug.

Main Results:

• Successful formation of the chitosan hydrogel with entrapped liposomes, confirmed by rheology.
• Liposome presence within the hydrogel matrix verified by microscopy techniques.
• Demonstrated significantly delayed release of carboxyfluorescein from liposomes-in-hydrogel compared to hydrogel-only systems.
• The hybrid system effectively controlled the release rate of the encapsulated model drug.

Conclusions:

• The developed hybrid biosystem, integrating liposomes into chitosan hydrogels, is a promising platform for delayed drug delivery.
• The lipid vesicles play a key role in modulating and sustaining the release of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
• This innovative system holds potential for advanced biomedical applications requiring controlled and prolonged therapeutic agent release.