Abstract
Objective: Super porous hydrogels (SPHs), a novel drug delivery system can be developed to retain drugs in the gastric medium. The aim of the present investigation was to prepare superporous hydrogels (SPHs) of Atenolol to release the drug in sustained manner in the gastric environment and study the effect of two grades of hydroxyl methyl cellulose along with Carbopol 971p on the physico mechanical properties and drug release kinetics of the formulations.
 Methods: Superporous hydrogels of Atenolol were prepared with two grades of Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC K100M and HPMC K15 M) along with Carbopol 971p the structural morphology of hydrogel was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Study on Physico mechanical characteristics and drug release were done.
 Results: Scanning Electron microscopy studies of the formulations revealed the presence of large number of pores in different size ranges like 1 µm, 2 µm, 10 µm, confirming the formulations as superporous hydrogel. A correlation had been found between porosity, density and % swelling index. The drug release data from the formulations obeyed Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetics. Further, the data were fitted to the Kopcha model for confirming drug release by a combination of diffusion-controlled and chain relaxation–swelling mechanism.
 Conclusion: Among the six formulations, where HPMC K15 M and HPMC K100 M both were present, the gel became more hydrophobic and retarded the release of drug. From the drug release kinetics data, it can be concluded that the diffusion mechanism predominated the drug release process, leading to quasi diffusion and Fickian diffusion mechanism.
Highlights
Hydrogels are crosslinked hydrophilic polymers with a network structure consisting of acidic, basic, or neutral monomers and they have the ability to absorb huge amount of water
SHPs have a tendency to swell to a large size with a swelling ratio of about 100 or more and their mechanical strength [5] should be high enough to withstand the pressure as gastroretentive drug delivery
This study demonstrates that superporous hydrogels of Atenolol may be suitable for use as a gastro retentive drug delivery system
Summary
Hydrogels are crosslinked hydrophilic polymers with a network structure consisting of acidic, basic, or neutral monomers and they have the ability to absorb huge amount of water. A new generation of hydrogels, which swell and absorb water rapidly, has been developed. Examples of this new generation are superporous hydrogel, which swell to an equilibrium size in a short period of time [2]. The fast swelling and strong mechanical properties of SPHs make them highly useful for various pharmaceutical and biomedical applications [3]. Superporous hydrogels (SPHs) possess an average pore size of greater than 100 microns and swell in equivalent sizes within a very short period because of rapid intake of water by capillary wetting through a number of interconnected microscopic pores [4]. Due to the highly porous structure, SPHs has hundred time’s greater surface area and shorter diffusion distance than conventional hydrogels do
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