Synthesis and Characterization of Poly (l-Lactic Acid) for Use in Drug Delivery System

Abstract

Hydrogels are being used in several applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields, which can be attributed to their satisfactory performance when implanted in alive organisms, as they have good biocompatibility and low toxicity. The possibility of fabrication in many geometric shapes also makes these hydrogels are widely used. Among biomedical applications, are surgical sutures, implanted materials, soft contact lenses and membranes for use in controlled bioactive substances delivery systems. The large increase in applications and the scientific and clinical interest in drug delivery systems have prompted several new developments of these systems. The main objective of this study was to synthesize and characterize a poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) hydrogel, biocompatible that can be used in a controlled drug delivery system. The PLLA is used as a biocompatible hydrogel because it presents the main high water absorption characteristic required for the formation of a hydrogel. This absorption is favored by the presence of oxygen, and also by the formation of cross-links. Although the PLLA is a synthetic polymer, it is used as a basic material for different applications in biomedicine, since it is non-toxic and also not carcinogenic. Solutions at different concentration were made with PLLA and crosslinker. Several tests were performed to verify the possible changes in the properties of PLLA. The characterization of the films obtained by casting PLLA solution at different concentration was carried through several tests as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tensile strength.