Amidated Pectin/Nanocellulose Hybrid Cryogel System with a pH-Responsive Release Profile for Small Intestinal...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Polysaccharide-based materials like cellulose nanofibers and pectin are explored for gel carriers.
• Integrating these into structurally modified hybrid gel systems requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize pH-responsive hybrid cryogels from anionic nanofibrillar cellulose (aNFC) and amidated pectin (AP).
• To evaluate their potential for small intestinal drug delivery.

Main Methods:

• Hybrid cryogels were fabricated using freeze-drying of various aNFC/AP ratios.
• pH-responsive release of a model drug was assessed at different pH values (acidic and neutral).
• Mechanical properties and pore morphology were analyzed in relation to AP content.

Main Results:

• The aNFC/AP hybrid cryogels exhibited pH-responsive behavior, with prolonged drug release at pH 3.0 (20-30 min) and rapid release at pH > 6.5 (1-2 min).
• Increased AP content improved mechanical strength and pore size.
• Drug release kinetics were influenced by cryogel morphology and crosslinking density.

Conclusions:

• aNFC/AP hybrid cryogels demonstrate a functional pH-responsive window between pH 6.5-7.0.
• These cryogels show significant promise as oral drug delivery systems for targeting the small intestine.