Polymer Bulletin, Vol.74, No.7, 2641-2655, 2017
Gum acacia polysaccharide-based pH sensitive gels for targeted delivery of neridronate
The preparation of polysaccharide-based gels from a combination of natural and synthetic polymers results in polymer networks with unique physico-chemical properties. Polysaccharide-based gels were prepared from a combination of gum acacia, a polysaccharide, and synthetic polymers using the free radical polymerization technique. The gels were characterized by XRD, DSC, SEM, and FTIR. The swelling abilities of the gels were performed at pH 1.2 and 7.4. Release kinetic studies of neridronate from the prepared gels were performed and the release mechanism was found to be super case transport II at pH 1.2 and pH 7.4. The gels were pH sensitive and the release profile of neridronate from the gels network was influenced by the degree of cross-linking of their network and pH. The preliminary results suggest that these gels are promising devices for targeted delivery of neridronate to the gastrointestinal region.