Environment-Sensitive Hydrogel as Drug Delivery System

CARLA N. SCHNELL; MARÍA V. GALVÁN; MIGUEL A. ZANUTTINI; PAULINA MOCCHIUTTI

Mar del Plata

Simposio; XIV Simposio Latinoamericano de Polímeros; 2018

Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología en Materiales (INTEMA)

Hydrogels are three-dimensional network of polymer chains characterized by their capacity to absorb water and different fluids without dissolving1. Particularly, hydrogels obtained from polyelectrolyte complexes suspension (PECs) containing weak ionizable groups in their network, such as chitosan and xylan, exhibit pH-sensitive and ion-sensitive swelling2 and thus, they can be used for controlled drug delivery under different liquid medium conditions.Chitosan and xylan are both natural biodegradable polyelectrolytes with opposite charge that has been considered as suitable raw materials to produce colonic drug administration systems.