Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026
07:32
Preparation and Characterization of Individual and Multi-drug Loaded Physically Entrapped Polymeric Micelles
Published on: August 28, 2015
pH-Responsive Hydroxypropyl Cellulose-Based Membranes for Controlled Mass Transport and Drug Release
Ahmed Mahmoud Ismail1, Ayesha Sattar2, Muhammad Amin2
1Pests and Plant Diseases Unit, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia.
Membranes
|June 25, 2026
Summary
Modified hydrogels show tunable swelling for pH-responsive oral drug delivery. These stimuli-responsive materials exhibit reversible swelling and controlled drug release, adapting to various physiological conditions.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Hydrogels are versatile polymeric networks with significant potential in drug delivery.
- Stimuli-responsive hydrogels offer tunable properties for controlled release applications.
- Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC)-based hydrogels are explored for their biocompatibility and adaptability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the swelling and transport properties of modified HPC-based hydrogels.
- To evaluate the stimuli-responsive behavior of these hydrogels under various conditions (pH, salt, ethanol, temperature).
- To assess the potential of these hydrogels for pH-responsive oral drug delivery.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and modification of HPC-based hydrogels with NaCMC and citric acid.
- Characterization of hydrogel swelling kinetics using the pseudo-second-order model.
- Evaluation of hydrogel response to pH, salt concentration, ethanol, and temperature.
- In vitro drug release studies to determine release mechanisms.
Main Results:
- The pseudo-second-order kinetic model accurately described the swelling behavior.
- Hydrogel swelling was significantly influenced by salt concentration, pH, ethanol, and temperature.
- The modified HPC hydrogel system demonstrated stimuli-responsive swelling-switching behavior with reversible cycles.
- Maximum swelling occurred at pH 7.4 in water, while deswelling was observed in ethanol at pH 1.2.
- Drug release followed a diffusion-mediated mechanism through the hydrogel matrix.
Conclusions:
- Modified HPC-based hydrogels exhibit significant stimuli-responsive properties.
- The hydrogels demonstrate tunable swelling and deswelling behavior in response to environmental stimuli.
- These findings support the potential application of these hydrogels in pH-responsive oral drug delivery systems.
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