Biodegradable and antibacterial poly(azomethine‐urethane)‐chitosan hydrogels for potential drug delivery application

Abstract

In this study, biodegradable and antibacterial poly(azomethine‐urethane) (PAMU)‐ and chitosan (CS)‐based hydrogels have been prepared for controlled drug delivery applications. Structural and morphological characterizations of the hydrogels were performed via Fourier transform‐infrared and scanning electron microscopy analyses. Thermal stability, hydrophilicity, swelling, mechanical, biodegradation, protein absorption properties, and drug delivery application of PAMU‐ and CS‐based hydrogels were also investigated. The swelling performance of the hydrogels was studied in acidic, neutral, and alkaline media. Swelling results showed that the hydrogels have higher swelling capacity in acidic and alkaline media than neutral medium. Biodegradation experiments of the hydrogels were also studied via hydrolytic and enzymatic experiments. The drug release property of the hydrogel was carried out using 5‐fluoro uracil (5‐FU), and 5‐FU release capacity of the hydrogels was found in the range from 40.10% to 58.40% after 3 days.

Fabrication of biodegradable hydrogels based on chitosan and poly(azomethine‐urethane) containing phenyl triazine for drug delivery

“…To investigate the drug release performance of the hydrogels, a certain amount of the drug‐loaded PU and CS‐based hydrogels was immersed into the freshly prepared PBS (0.01 M, pH 7.4). At certain time intervals, 3 ml of drug containing the solution was removed from the mixture medium and the drug concentration was calculated using the following Equation (4) with a spectrophotometer at 267 nm 26 where V and V i are the volumes of 5‐FU in release medium (20 ml) and removed 5‐FU (3 ml), C n and C i are drug concentrations at the initial state (0.5 mg ml −1 ), and in release medium, and m is mass of the hydrogels (mg), respectively.…”

In situ photo‐crosslinked hydrogels prepared from acrylated 4‐arm‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) block copolymers for local cancer therapy

“…Nevertheless, systemic medication presents many disadvantages such as severe side effects, low effective drug concentration, and frequent administration. Drug carriers for local delivery have been developed during the past decades as alternative to systemic medication, including hydrogels, polymeric films, rods, and fiber scaffold, and so on 5–8 …”

“…Different strategies are available for in situ hydrogel preparation, including stimuli‐responsiveness, Schiff base reaction, hydrophobic interaction, and three‐dimensional complexation. Stimuli‐responsive hydrogels are obtained from materials, which can respond to various stimuli such light, ions, chemicals and temperature to trigger covalent or physical crosslinking 5,11 . Among them, photo‐crosslinked hydrogels have been widely used in the biomedical field, such as drug delivery and cancer therapy, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, biosensing, and so on, due to their temporal and spatial controllability 12–14 …”

“…the past decades as alternative to systemic medication, including hydrogels, polymeric films, rods, and fiber scaffold, and so on. [5][6][7][8] In situ-forming hydrogels are most promising for local drug delivery due to simple preparation, easy administration and perfect cavity filling, and minimally invasive treatment. 9,10 Hydrogel precursors can be prepared in solution in absence of trigger materials or mechanisms.…”

“…Stimuli-responsive hydrogels are obtained from materials, which can respond to various stimuli such light, ions, chemicals and temperature to trigger covalent or physical crosslinking. 5,11 Among them, photo-crosslinked hydrogels have been widely used in the biomedical field, such as drug delivery and cancer therapy, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, biosensing, and so on, due to their temporal and spatial controllability. [12][13][14] A photo-responsive system is generally composed of a prepolymer, a photoinitiator, and eventually therapeutic molecules or cells.…”