Synthesis and properties of novel hydrogels from oxidized konjac glucomannan crosslinked gelatin for in vitro drug delivery

This paper describes the use of oxidized konjac glucomannan (DAK) as a macromolecular cross-linker for the preparation of gelatin-based pharmaceutical hydrogels, which crosslinked and gelled in minutes. FTIR, XRD, SEM, swelling and mechanical properties experiments were performed to confirm the effect of DAK and evaluate the relationship of the structure and morphology of the hydrogels. The obtained results indicated that DAK promoted the formation of gelatin network. More interestingly, gelatin hydrogels treated by DAK slowed down prominently the release of the model drug ketoprofen, and the release rate could be tailored by the DAK/GL ratio and pH value of buffer solutions. These results suggest that this process offers an entirely new window of material preparation for controlled release of drugs when compared with traditional preparation of gelatin-based hydrogels crosslinked with small molecules.