WPI Hydrogels with a Prolonged Drug-Release Profile for Antimicrobial Therapy

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Valentina O Plastun1, Ekaterina S Prikhozhdenko1, Olga I Gusliakova1

  • 1Science Medical Center, Saratov State University, 83 Astrakhanskaya Str., 410012 Saratov, Russia.

Pharmaceutics
|June 24, 2022
PubMed

Insights

New whey protein isolate hydrogels effectively deliver cefazolin, offering prolonged antimicrobial activity and reduced cytotoxicity for surgical infection prevention. These biocompatible materials show promise for treating postoperative sequelae.

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Infectious Disease Research

Background:

  • Surgical site infections (postoperative sequelae) significantly reduce treatment efficacy and patient quality of life.
  • Local antimicrobial prophylaxis is being developed to enhance antibiotic effectiveness and minimize systemic side effects.
  • Whey protein isolate (WPI), a natural, biocompatible substance from the dairy industry, is explored as a drug delivery matrix.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and characterize antimicrobial hydrogels using whey protein isolate (WPI) for local antibiotic delivery.
  • To evaluate the drug release kinetics, swelling behavior, and degradation of WPI hydrogels.
  • To assess the antimicrobial efficacy and cytotoxicity of cefazolin-loaded WPI hydrogels against Staphylococcus aureus.

Main Methods:

  • Development and characterization of WPI-based hydrogels as matrices for cefazolin drug delivery.
  • Measurement of cefazolin release profiles from hydrogel pores over time.
  • Assessment of hydrogel swelling and degradation in a solvent.
  • Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of loaded hydrogels against Staphylococcus aureus compared to free cefazolin.
  • Analysis of the cytotoxic effects of cefazolin-loaded WPI hydrogels.

Main Results:

  • WPI hydrogels demonstrated a prolonged release of cefazolin over three days, dependent on the loaded drug amount.
  • Hydrogels exhibited swelling, doubling in size within three days, while retaining cefazolin throughout the experiment.
  • Cefazolin-loaded WPI hydrogels showed prolonged antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus compared to free cefazolin.
  • The overall cytotoxic effect of cefazolin within WPI hydrogels was lower than that of free cefazolin.

Conclusions:

  • Antimicrobial WPI hydrogels are effective matrices for the sustained local delivery of cefazolin.
  • These hydrogels offer prolonged antimicrobial efficacy and reduced cytotoxicity, making them suitable for preventing surgical infections.
  • WPI hydrogels represent a promising candidate for local antibiotic therapy in managing infectious surgical sequelae.
Keywords:
antimicrobial activitycefazolindrug releasehydrogelwhey protein isolate

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