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Published on: January 14, 2020
Formation of self-assembled polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel derived from salecan and chitosan for sustained release
Xinyu Hu1, Yongmei Wang2, Liangliang Zhang2
1Key Lab. of Biomass Energy and Material, Jiangsu Province, Institute of Chemical Industry of Forestry Products, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Nanjing, 210042, China; Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, 210042, China; Key Lab. of Chemical Engineering of Forest Products, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, 100714, China; National Engineering Lab. for Biomass Chemical Utilization, Nanjing, 210042, China.
Abstract:
Vitamin C (VC) is an indispensable nutrient for human health. However, poor chemical stability in gastric environment restricts its full assimilation by intestine. It is important to construct a safe carrier that can protect VC from the gastric fluid and sustainably release it in intestine. Herein, we designed a novel polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) hydrogel through self-assembly of salecan and chitosan. PEC structure formed by electrostatic interactions was confirmed by FT-IR, XRD, XPS and TGA. Their swelling, morphology, rheology, cytocompatibility and biodegradation were well investigated. In particular, VC released in a controlled and pH-dependent manner. The release amount in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) was significantly higher than simulated gastric fluid (SGF), and can be maintained at high level in blood after 6 h. Release mechanism agreed well with Ritger-Peppas model. The purpose of this study was to develop a smart nutrient delivery platform for targeted release of VC in intestinal condition.
