Biodegradable interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel membranes for controlled release of anticancer drug

Abstract

Biodegradable interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel membranes of chitosan and gelatin were prepared by solvent casting evaporation method for the controlled release of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU), an anticancer drug. The membraneswere characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Tensile strength measurements.The FTIR was used to understand the formation of crosslinking and to confirm the absence of chemical interactions between drug and membranes. DSC and XRD studies were performed to understand the crystalline nature of drug after encapsulation into the membranes. SEM was used to study the surface morphology of the membranes. The in vitro studies were carried out in phosphate buffer pH 7.4 at 37°C.The results of controlled release tests showed that the amount of 5‐FU release increased with the increasing the amount of gelatin in the membrane. Moreover, the release rate of drug increased as the amount of drug loaded in the membranes increased. All the results indicated that the prepared membrane was potentially useful in drug‐delivery systems, and the prolonged release rate was observed up to 12 h. Key words: 5‐flurouracil, chitosan, drug‐delivery systems, gelatin, hydrogel membrane