pH-sensitive starch hydrogels via free radical graft copolymerization, synthesis and properties

Natural polymers are considered high value polymeric materials because of their potential as biocompatible materials with medical applications. The chemical modification of natural polymers by grafting has received considerable attention in recent years because of the wide variety of monomers available. As the first part of a continued research on conversion of carboxymethyl starch (CMS) to useful biopolymer-based materials, large numbers of carboxylic functional groups were introduced onto CMS by grafting with polymethacrylic acid (PMAA). Free radical graft copolymerization was carried out at 70 °C, bis-acrylamide as a crosslinking agent and persulfate as an initiator. Equilibrium swelling studies were carried out in enzyme-free simulated gastric and intestinal fluids (SGF and SIF, respectively). Also, the sodium dicofenac as a model drug was entrapped in these nano-gels and the in vitro release profiles were established separately in both enzyme-free SGF and SIF. The drug release was found to be faster in SIF. The drug-release profiles indicate that amount drug release depends on their degree of swelling, and crosslinking. This hydrogel converted to nano by freeze-drying method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and FT-IR spectrometry.