A new candidate for wound dressing materials: s-IPN hydrogel-based highly elastic and pH-sensitive drug delivery system containing pectin and vinyl phosphonic acid

Abstract

In this study, we developed pH-sensitive semi-interpenetrating network (s-IPN) hydrogels, composed of pectin, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and vinyl phosphonic acid (VPA) using N,N'-methylene bis(acrylamide) (MBA) as a cross-linker with the free-radical polymerization method. The formation of s-IPNs was confirmed by FTIR studies. SEM images showed the addition of VPA to the polymeric matrix of s-IPN hydrogels formed additional microporous structures within the hydrogel network. The s-IPN hydrogel had perfect mechanical features like stretchability, compressibility and elasticity. Additionally, the swelling behavior of s-IPN hydrogels in deionized water and solutions with diverse pH was assessed. To research use as a controlled drug delivery material, the hydrogel was loaded with cimetidine and trimethoprim. At pH 7.2, the in vitro drug release profile was observed and nearly 60 % of the drugs were released from s-IPN hydrogel within 10 h. Additionally, the most appropriate kinetic release model was Higuchi, followed by Korsmeyer-Peppas. Finally, silver sulfadiazine (SSD) was added to s-IPN hydrogel for use as a smart wound dressing material. Antimicrobial analysis of the SSD-loaded s-IPN hydrogel found it had antimicrobial features, inducing 15, 17 and 23 mm inhibition zones against Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive), Escherichia coli (gram-negative) and Candida albicans (fungus) microorganisms, respectively. In light of the obtained results, based on being easily shapable with appropriate mechanical and physical features, pectin/p(HEMA-co-VPA) and pectin/p(HEMA-co-VPA)@SSD s-IPN hydrogels are potential candidates for use as controlled drug delivery and wound dressing materials in the biomedical field.