Development of Vaginal Carriers Based on Chitosan-Grafted-PNIPAAm for Progesterone Administration

Abstract

Chitosan-based hydrogels possess numerous advantages, such as biocompatibility and non-toxicity, and it is considered a proper material to be used in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Vaginal administration of progesterone represents a viable alternative for maintaining pregnancy and reducing the risk of miscarriage and in supporting the corpus luteum during fertilization cycles. This study aimed to develop new formulations for vaginal administration of progesterone (PGT). A previously synthesized responsive chitosan-grafted-poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (CS-g-PNIPAAm) was formulated in various compositions with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as external crosslinking agent to obtain pH- and temperature-dependent hydrogels; the hydrogels had the capacity to withstand shear forces encountered in the vagina due to its mechanism of swelling once in contact with vaginal fluids. Three different hydrogels based on grafted chitosan were analyzed via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), swelling tests, in vitro drug release, and bioadhesion properties by TA.XTplus texture analysis. A higher amount of PVA decreased the swelling and the bioadhesion capacities of the hydrogel. All hydrogels showed sensitivity to temperature and pH in terms of swelling and in vitro delivery characteristics. By loading progesterone, the studied hydrogels seemed to possess even higher sensitivity than drug–free matrices. The release profile of the active substance and the bioadhesion characteristics recommended the CS-g-PNIPAAm/PVA 80/20 +PGT (P1) hydrogel as a proper constituent for the vaginal formulation for progesterone administration.

UV-Crosslinked Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Interpenetrated into Chitosan Structure with Enhancement of Mechanical Properties Implemented as Anti-Fouling Materials

“…Both linear and hydrogel structures possess attractive features that make them suitable biomedical polymers. These features include biocompatibility and non-toxicity and have garnered significant attention in diverse applications [19][20][21][22][23].…”

“…CS/PNiPAM hydrogels have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional properties for biomedical and related applications [20,21,[24][25][26][27][28][29]. However, it is worth noting that these applications have typically been explored without thoroughly examining the hydrogels' mechanical properties [20,21,[24][25][26][27].…”

“…CS/PNiPAM hydrogels have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional properties for biomedical and related applications [20,21,[24][25][26][27][28][29]. However, it is worth noting that these applications have typically been explored without thoroughly examining the hydrogels' mechanical properties [20,21,[24][25][26][27]. For instance, a temperature-sensitive polymer consisting of palmatine (PA)-loaded cysteine (Cys)-modified chitosan (Cs) grafted with PNIPAM (Cs-Cys-PN/PA) was prepared.…”

Editorial on the Special Issue “Chitosan Functional Hydrogels: Synthesis and Applications”

“…The main highlights of this Special Issue are the following studies: one investigating the synthesis of nature-based curcumin-loaded chitosan-PVA hydrogels for conferring antimicrobial properties and promoting wound healing by Chopra et al [3], the in situ synthesis of Syzygium aromaticum essential oil loaded chitosan hydrogels [4], chitosangelatin thermosensitive hydrogels for effective delivery of 5FU [5], and the development of chitosan-based vaginal carriers of progesterone [6], chitosan-grafted poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate hydrogels for drug delivery [7], and 3-D gallic acid loaded chitosan [8]. For example, interesting findings show that curcumin-impregnated chitosan hydrogels were effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms and had good binding energy scores and increased interaction with key residues of inflammatory proteins that help in wound healing activity.…”