Current Scenario of Hydrogel as Drug Delivery System

Abstract

Crosslinked polymer networks known as hydrogels are capable of absorbing large volumes of water liquids. Depending on whether the crosslink connections are chemical or physical, hydrogels can be categorised into two groups. Physical networks feature temporary junctions that result from either polymer chain entanglements or physical interactions like ionic contacts, hydrogen bonds, or hydrophobic interactions, as opposed to chemically crosslinked networks, which have permanent junctions. Swellable polymeric polymers called hydrogels have received a lot of attention as potential drug delivery system carriers. These biomaterials have drawn attention because of their unusual properties, such as swelling in aqueous media, sensitivity to pH and temperature, or sensitivity to other stimuli. Because they are made of biocompatible materials, hydrogels are known to protect drugs from the in vivo environment, particularly peptides and proteins. Moreover, these swelling polymers are useful as tissue-specific targetable carriers for bioactive medicines. This article provides a summary of the developments in hydrogel-based drug delivery that have captured the attention of the majority of researchers.