Chitosan based hybrid superabsorbent for controlled drug delivery application

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Chitosan and alginate are biocompatible polymers with potential in drug delivery.
• Developing advanced hydrogels is crucial for effective and controlled therapeutic agent release.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a hybrid chitosan-alginate superabsorbent hydrogel.
• To evaluate its potential as a drug delivery device for metformin hydrochloride.
• To investigate the release kinetics and influencing factors of metformin hydrochloride from the hydrogel.

Main Methods:

• Free radical polymerization was used to prepare the hybrid hydrogel with maleic acid and acrylamide.
• Characterization involved X-ray diffraction, FTIR, XPS, and thermal analysis.
• Drug encapsulation was achieved via swelling diffusion, followed by in vitro release studies at different pH levels.

Main Results:

• The synthesized hydrogel exhibited good swelling capacity, hemocompatibility, and biocompatibility.
• In vitro release studies showed higher metformin release at intestinal pH (82.71%) compared to stomach pH (45.67%) over 10 hours.
• The hybrid hydrogel provided more sustained drug release than pure chitosan hydrogel, with swelling-controlled release being dominant.

Conclusions:

• The hybrid chitosan-alginate hydrogel is a stable, functional material suitable for drug delivery.
• The hydrogel demonstrates potential for controlled release of metformin hydrochloride, particularly under intestinal conditions.
• Swelling behavior significantly influences the drug release mechanism, offering a promising approach for sustained drug delivery systems.