Novel biocompatible poly(acrylamide)-grafted-dextran hydrogels: Synthesis, characterization and biomedical...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Transdermal drug delivery offers advantages over oral administration but faces challenges in controlling drug release rates.
• Electro-responsive materials present a novel approach to modulate drug permeation through biological barriers like the skin.
• Rivastigmine tartrate is a key therapeutic agent for managing cognitive decline in neurological disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize an electro-responsive polyacrylamide-grafted-dextran (PAAm-g-Dxt) copolymer.
• To develop an electro-responsive transdermal drug delivery system (ETDS) for rivastigmine tartrate using the synthesized copolymer.
• To evaluate the effect of electrical stimuli on the transdermal delivery of rivastigmine tartrate.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of PAAm-g-Dxt copolymer using spectroscopic and analytical techniques.
• Fabrication of ETDS comprising a drug-loaded hydrogel reservoir and a cross-linked dextran-poly(vinyl alcohol) blend rate-controlling membrane.
• In vitro permeation studies with and without electrical stimuli, including varying current strengths and 'on-off' cycling.
• Histopathological examination of skin tissue post-application of electrical stimuli.

Main Results:

• The synthesized PAAm-g-Dxt copolymer demonstrated successful grafting and electro-responsive properties.
• ETDS exhibited significantly enhanced rivastigmine tartrate permeability (1.6-fold increase) under electrical stimulation.
• Drug permeability correlated positively with electrical current strength and showed dynamic 'on-off' release behavior.
• Histopathology confirmed skin structural integrity was maintained, with alterations only under electrical stimulation.

Conclusions:

• The developed PAAm-g-Dxt based ETDS provides a viable platform for electrically triggered, on-demand transdermal drug delivery.
• This system offers precise control over drug release kinetics, potentially improving therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance.
• The electro-responsive nature of the copolymer enables tunable drug release for systemic circulation.