Preparation and application of pH-responsive composite hydrogel beads as potential delivery carrier candidates for controlled release of berberine hydrochloride

Abstract

For improving the effective concentration of berberine hydrochloride (BH) in the gastrointestinal tract, a series of pH-responsive hydrogel beads were prepared based on carboxymethylstarch-g-poly (acrylic acid)/palygorskite/starch/sodium alginate (CMS-g-PAA/PGS/ST/SA) in the present work. The developed hydrogel beads were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). Effect of palygorskite (PGS) content on the swelling properties of hydrogel beads and BH cumulative release were discussed. The pH responsiveness of hydrogel beads was also investigated in different media. Results illustrated that swelling of hydrogel beads and BH cumulative release from hydrogel beads were obviously affected by PGS content. The swelling ratio and BH cumulative release of composite hydrogel beads remarkably slowed down with PGS content increasing in the range from 10 to 40 wt%. The composite hydrogel beads were pH-responsive. At pH 7.4, the swelling ratio and BH cumulative release from composite hydrogel beads were the fastest among the dissolution media of pH 1.2, pH 6.8 and pH 7.4. The BH cumulative release from hydrogel beads was related to the swelling and relaxation of composite hydrogel beads and could be fitted better by the Higuchi model. The obtained composite hydrogel beads could be potentially used for the development of BH pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Carrier-Free Small Molecular Self-Assembly Based on Berberine and Curcumin Incorporated in Submicron Particles for Improving Antimicrobial Activity

“…TG curves of BBR, CM, and B−C SMPs showed that BBR, CM, B−C SMPs had 50, 33, and 10% residual matter at the end of thermal decomposition, respectively, which was similar to the results of previous research studies. 49,50 This phenomenon might be due to the interaction between two substances affecting the thermal decomposition, resulting in the reduction of amorphous carbon residue. Therefore, the B− C SMPs self-assembled by BBR and CM had good thermal stability.…”

5-Fluorouracil Encapsulated Chitosan-Cellulose Fiber Bionanocomposites: Synthesis, Characterization and In Vitro Analysis towards Colorectal Cancer Cells

“…The sample approximately showed its equilibrium state after 12 h, comparable with different studies [ 32 , 67 ]. With an increasing time and pH value, the swelling increased that CF, CS NPs, CS-CF BNCs and CS-CF/5FU BNCs indicated the maximum swelling ratio of 2.91 ± 0.11, 3.49 ± 0.09, 3.77 ± 0.07 and 3.85 ± 0.10 in media at pH 12, respectively, after 36 h. Similarly, in different studies, the pH of solution controlled the swelling performances of polymer complexes, including polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan/TiO 2 nanofibers [ 68 ], chitosan cross-linked poly (acrylic acid) hydrogels [ 69 ] and hydrogel composites of carboxymethylstarch-g-poly (acrylic acid)/palygorskite/starch/sodium alginate [ 70 ]. As presented in Figure 6 a–d, CS NPs and the CS-CF composites displayed higher swelling properties compared to CF.…”

The Role of Alginate Hydrogels as a Potential Treatment Modality for Spinal Cord Injury: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

“…The role alginate hydrogels may play in drug delivery has also previously been demonstrated. In a study by Gao et al [ 29 ] in 2020, modified pH-responsive alginate hydrogel beads were demonstrated to effectively increase the concentration of berberine hydrochloride delivery within the gastrointestinal tract, thus showcasing their potential role in sustained drug delivery via oral administration.…”