A drug-loaded gel (CSPP) based on ionic crosslinked chitosan (CS) and polyelectrolyte complexes of poly (acrylic acid) (PM) with poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) was prepared by dropping CS solution containing suitable amount of PVP into PAA and trisodium citrate co-existing gelling solution. The surface and cross-section morphology of the gel was observed using scanning electron microscopy, and the observation showed that the CSPP gel had more compact structure than CS gel. In vitro release profiles of model drug from the CSPP gel, which was prepared under different conditions, were investigated in simulative gastric fluid (pH 1.8) using an UV/vis spectrophotometer. The results showed that the rapid release of the model was restrained due to the complex of PVP and PM, and the CSPP gel could serve as a suitable candidate in drug delivery system such as the site-specific controlled release of the drug in stomach. In addition, the release mechanism of drug was analyzed by fitting the amount of drug released into Peppa's potential equation. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.