Drug release from microstructured grafted starch monolithic tablets

Abstract

The aim of this research was to obtain biodegradable amphiphilic graft copolymers suitable for developing matrices capable of controlling the release of proteins in oral drug administration. To this end, high-AM starch was grafted with methacrylic acid (MA) using potassium persulphate (K2S2O8) as the initiator in an aqueous solution. Tablets were obtained by compressing the graft copolymer in powder form with a model drug to make a loaded matrix. When these tablets came in contact with water, the particles split into nano- or microparticles. Thus, microholes or micropores were formed allowing drugs and peptides to be released. In order to obtain matrices with better resistance to hydrolysis, other graft copolymers were synthesized using a cross-linking agent. In this paper, we report on the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of different graft copolymers and on the study of these copolymers as nano- and microparticles. It was observed that these copolymers offered good controlled release of a model drug, as well as of a model protein.