Polymeric Prodrugs of Naproxen as Drug Delivery Systems

In this work, vinyl (2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl) propionic acid), as a vinyl ester type derivative of naproxen, was synthesized by reaction of naproxen and vinyl acetate in the presence of mercuric acetate. The obtained compound was then copolymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or methyl methacrylate monomers by free radical polymerization method. The obtained copolymers were characterized by FT-IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, elemental analysis and gel permeation chromatography. Release study of naproxen from polymeric prodrugs was carried out into cellophane membrane dialysis bags by hydrolysis in buffered solutions (pH 1, 7.4 and 10) at 37 oC, and the quantity of the released drug was detected by UV spectroscopy. The release profiles indicated that the hydrolytic behavior of polymeric prodrugs is strongly based on the polymer hydrophilicity and the pH value of the hydrolysis solution. The studied polymers containing naproxen drug showed that these polymers have potential useful as drug carriers for production of pH-sensitive polymeric prodrugs.