Preparation of a pH-sensitive pantoprazole-imprinted polymer and evaluation of its drug-binding and -releasing properties

Abstract

The aim of this work was to synthesize a pantoprazole-imprinted polymer (MIPs) and study its binding and release properties in an aqueous media. Methacrylic acid (MAA), methacrylamide (MAAM), hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and 4-vinyl pyridine (4VP) were tested as functional monomers. Different solvents were also applied as polymerization media under heat or UV radiation. The optimized MIP was prepared in chloroform as a solvent, 4-vinyl pyridine as a functional monomer, and ethylene glycole dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a crosslinker monomer under UV irradiation. Binding and release properties of MIP were studied in comparison with a non-imprinted polymer (NIP) in aqueous media, at different pH values. The protective effect of polymer for drugs against acidic conditions was evaluated at pH 2. Results indicated that the MIP had superior binding properties compared to NIP for pantoprazole. The percentage of drug released from MIP was significantly less than from NIP at all pH values, which was attributed to the presence of imprinted cavities in the MIP matrix. MIP also had a stronger protective effect for pantoprazole in acidic media, in comparison with NIP.