In Vitro and Biological Characterization of Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Laden pH-Sensitive and Mucoadhesive Hydroxy Propyl beta-Cyclodextrin-g-poly(acrylic acid)/Gelatin Semi-Interpenetrating Networks

摘要

The current study reports the fabrication and biological evaluation of hydroxy propyl beta-cyclodextrin-g-poly(acrylic acid)/gelatin (HP-beta-CD-g-poly(AA)/gelatin) semi-interpenetrating networks (semi-IPN) for colonic delivery of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP). The prepared hydrogels showed pH-dependent swelling and mucoadhesive properties. The mucoadhesive strength of hydrogels increased with an increasing concentration of gelatin. Based on the swelling and mucoadhesive properties, AG-1 was chosen as the optimized formulation (0.33 w/w of gelatin and 16.66 w/w of AA) for further analysis. FTIR revealed the successful development of a polymeric network without any interaction with DSP. SEM images revealed a slightly rough surface after drug loading. Drug distribution at the molecular level was confirmed by XRD. In vitro drug release assay showed pH-dependent release, i.e., a minute amount of DSP was released at a pH of 1.2 while 90.58 was released over 72 h at pH 7.4. The optimized formulation did not show any toxic effects on a rabbit's vital organs and was also hemocompatible, thus confirming the biocompatible nature of the hydrogel. Conclusively, the prepared semi-IPN hydrogel possessed the necessary features, which can be exploited for the colonic delivery of DSP.