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pH-Sensitive Starch-Based Hydrogels: Synthesis and Effect of Molecular Components on Drug Release Behavior
Juan Carlos Quintanilla de Stéfano1, Vanessa Abundis-Correa1, Sergio Daniel Herrera-Flores1
1School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey 64849, NL, Mexico.
Polymers
|September 4, 2020
Summary
pH-sensitive starch-based hydrogels show tunable drug release. Modifying comonomer hydrophobicity and crosslinking affects swelling and caffeine release rates, offering potential for biomedical drug delivery devices.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Starch-based hydrogels are promising for drug delivery.
- Controlling drug release from hydrogels is crucial for effective therapy.
- Understanding the influence of chemical composition on hydrogel properties is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the drug release behavior of pH-sensitive starch-based hydrogels.
- To explore the impact of comonomer hydrophobicity and crosslinking on hydrogel swelling and drug release.
- To evaluate the potential of these hydrogels for biomedical drug delivery applications.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized starch-based hydrogels via copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) with hydrophilic (HEMA, AAm) and hydrophobic (BMA) comonomers.
- Utilized methylene-bisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinking agent.
- Loaded hydrogels with caffeine as a model drug and studied its release kinetics.
Main Results:
- Hydrophobic monomers and crosslinking decreased hydrogel swelling capacity.
- Increased caffeine release rate was observed with hydrophobic monomers.
- Fastest release from AA/BMA/AAm formulation, slowest from AA/HEMA/AAm.
- Drug transport mechanisms identified as Fickian diffusion or polymer relaxation.
Conclusions:
- Swelling and drug delivery behavior of starch-based hydrogels can be precisely tuned by altering copolymer composition.
- These tailored hydrogels demonstrate significant potential as drug delivery devices in various biomedical applications.
