Super-Macroporous Pulluan Cryogels as Controlled Active Delivery Systems with Controlled Degradability

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Natural polysaccharides offer biocompatible platforms for advanced applications.
• Developing stimuli-responsive materials is crucial for targeted therapies.
• Cryogelation provides a versatile method for creating macroporous structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize super-macroporous pullulan cryogels.
• To evaluate the hydrolytic degradation behavior of pullulan cryogels in simulated body fluids.
• To demonstrate the potential of these cryogels for controlled antibiotic delivery.

Main Methods:

• Super-macroporous pullulan cryogels synthesized via cryo-crosslinking with divinyl sulfone (DVS).
• Hydrolytic degradation assessed in simulated body fluids at pH 1.0, 7.4, and 9.0.
• Ciprofloxacin loading and in vitro release studies conducted at 37.5 °C and pH 7.4.
• Antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus evaluated.
• Cytotoxicity assessment on L929 fibroblast cells.

Main Results:

• Pullulan cryogel exhibited faster degradation in pH 9.0 buffer (31% ± 2% weight loss in 28 days) compared to pH 1.0 and 7.4.
• Ciprofloxacin loading achieved 105.40 ± 2.6 µg/mg; in vitro release at pH 7.4 yielded 41.38% ± 3.58% release within 24 hours.
• 0.1 mg of pullulan-cipro cryogel inhibited bacterial growth effectively with no significant cytotoxicity on L929 cells.

Conclusions:

• Pullulan cryogels demonstrate tunable degradation rates influenced by pH.
• The developed cryogel system shows promise for controlled antibiotic delivery.
• The material exhibits favorable biocompatibility at therapeutic concentrations.