Gelation Medium Research Articles

Inorganic metal salts as additives in the design of cellulose/arabinogalactan hydrogels for prolonged delivery of simvastatin in simulated bio‐fluids

AbstractIn this study, carboxymethylcellulose and arabinogalactan were used to create an interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogel system in the presence of AlCl3 alone or in combination with ZnSO4 salts. Ionotropic gelation caused the polymer sol droplets to transform into hydrogel particles in the presence of salts. The impact of salts on hydrogel properties was evaluated in terms of morphology, drug entrapment efficiency, swelling, and drug release kinetics. The cellulose IPN hydrogel particles containing 50% arabinogalactan looked spherical with evidence of surface folding when treated with AlCl3. Surface folding was reduced by an additional treatment with ZnSO4. Following treatment of the IPN particles with dual salts, a maximum drug entrapment efficiency of 88.77% was obtained. Surface erosion, as seen with aluminum‐IPN hydrogel particles, was minimized with the use of mixed salts as gelation medium. Furthermore, the use of mixed salts allowed the hydrogel particles to swell and consistently release simvastatin in simulated gastrointestinal fluids for up to 9 h. Thermal and x‐ray analyses revealed that the crystallinity of the drug reduced considerably after entrapment in the IPN hydrogel matrix. The infrared spectra analysis did not indicate any evidence of drug polymer interaction. The release of drug from the IPN hydrogel particles followed non‐Fickian diffusion mechanism. The dual metallic salts were found to be effective in creating physically stable cellulose‐arabinogalactan IPN hydrogel particles for sustained release of simvastatin in a varying pH environment of gastrointestinal tract.Highlights Dual inorganic salts allowed synthesis of cellulose/arabinogalactan hydrogel Additional use of ZnSO4 improved surface morphology of hydrogel particles Compatible environment of hydrogels allowed more than 88% drug entrapment Concentration of neutral arabinogalactan was crucial in dictating drug release Mixed salts controlled swelling and release of simvastatin from hydrogels

Glutaraldehyde-copper gelled chitosan beads: Characterization and utilization as covalent immobilizers

The robust chitosan (CHS)–Cu2+ interactions were utilized to prepare CHS beads. Glutaraldehyde (GA) was also added to the gelling medium to provide the functional entities needed for β-d-galactosidase (βG) covalent immobilization. The preparation of the GA-Cu-CHS beads was honed with respect to the concentrations of the utilized CuSO4, CHS, and GA solutions. A CHS concentration of 2% was favored. The optimal gelling medium comprised 0.2% CuSO4-1.12% GA. The beads were characterized via SEM and EDX. The beads enhanced mechanical traits were verified. The GA-Cu-CHS beads immobilized βG, and the immobilization efficiency reached 47.67% when 2.56 Ug−1 βG loading activity was adopted. The immobilized βG (iβG) experienced an acidic shift in its optimal pH range from 4.4 to 5.5 to 3.6–4.4. Moreover, its optimal temperature was slightly shifted following immobilization from 55-60 °C–60 °C. The Km and Vmax values of βG were reduced from 84.4 mM to 19.0 μmol/min mg enzyme to 64.9 mM and 5.6 μmol/min mg enzyme following immobilization. The operational stability of iβG was also studied while performing the 15 min lactose hydrolytic reaction at 37 °C, and 81.79% activity was obtained throughout the 15th hydrolytic cycle. Moreover, the iβG provided 97.30% activity after 77 days of storage in distilled water in the fridge. Finally, the iβG was utilized to degrade lactose in cheese whey and also in buffered lactose solution (BLS) at 45 °C and at pH 4.4. Each degradation cycle lasted 24 h and 78.52% of the inceptive released glucose was released during the BLS 5th degradation cycle.

Encapsulation of Moringa oleifera leaf extract in chitosan-coated alginate microbeads produced by ionic gelation

Encapsulation of potential bioactive natural substances is a promising preservation method for the natural additives over the synthetic antixodiants. In this study, ionic gelation has been used to encapsulate the Moringa oleifera leaf extract in biopolymers. Automatic solvent extraction was used to extract active material from the plant. Then, the active material was covered by chitosan/alginate via ionic gelation. Ionic gelation system was designed and optimized by Central Composite design of Response Surface Method (RSM). Exposure time to gelling medium (10–30 min), sodium alginate concentration (1%–2%, w/v) and chitosan concentration (0.5%–1%, w/v) were process parameters to be optimized for the maximum encapsulation efficiency concerning total phenolic content (EETPC), rutin (major individual compound) concentration and inhibition effect of the capsules against DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) free radical. Particle shape and morphology of the dried microcapsules show that the capsules obtained are quite spherical, uniform and have a regular structure depending on stereo-microscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyzes.

Trichloroethylene replacements for the cleaning of silicone oil used in the internal gelation process

Silicone oil continues to be used as a gelation medium for internal gelation process. Typically, the silicone oil has been removed from the gel spheres using trichloroethylene (TCE) washes. However, TCE is no longer a viable option for large-scale operations because of environmental issues, health concerns, and disposal costs. During the development of a large gelation system at the Y-12 National Security Complex, two new TCE wash replacements were identified. NuSolv SOR-C and FluoSolv WS were used in a number of uranium runs and found to effectively remove silicone oil. NuSolv SOR-C was determined to be the best option.

Thermal decomposition analysis of Co2+ content alginic acid cross-linked structure for the synthesis of cobalt oxides

A modified sol-gel method employing alginic acid (H-ALG) granule as gelation media was developed for the synthesis of cobalt oxides in this investigation. High-temperature decomposition mechanism of alginic acid was studied using simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) coupled with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and mass spectrometry (MS). The main emissions were water, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide with − 7444.8 J/g heat flow measured at temperatures between 200 and 500 °C. In contrast, the energy released using the cobalt alginate (Co-ALG) sample was determined as − 8296.2 J/g at this temperature range. The oxidation states of the Co-ALG sample gradually changed, resulting in a conversion from Co3O4 to CoO at high temperatures. According to the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, single phase cubic Co3O4 were produced with particle size ~25 nm after calcination at 500 °C for 2 h. The ability of H-ALG to attract metal ions, such as Co, could be considered as a low cost and simple route for a large scale production of high purity metal oxides at significantly low temperatures due to the tremendous amount of energy released during the combustion reaction of the alginate structure.

CoFe2O4 nanopowder synthesis by a solid-liquid cation-exchange process and their magnetic properties

A sol-gel method using highly compacted sodium alginate (Na-ALG) granules as gelation media was developed for the synthesis of CoFe2O4 (CFO) nanoparticles in this study. The high shear wet granulation (HSWG) process was applied with the granule size distribution (GSD), as measured and simulated using the population balance model (PBM). The formation of CFO nanoparticles was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mean crystallite sizes calculated using XRD Rietveld refinement analysis matched the particle sizes observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The magnetic properties of the obtained CFO nanoparticles under different heat treatment conditions were measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) at room temperature. As the calcination temperature increased, larger particles with higher crystallinities were obtained, which resulted in the overall magnetic properties increasing logarithmically as a function of crystalline size. The maximum saturation magnetization (76.61 emu/g) was obtained using the sample calcined at 900 °C for 2 h.

Supramolecular effect of acetate on chitin gelling medium: Structural properties and protein interaction

In this work, the influence of Sodium Acetate Trihydrate (SAT) on the gelling stage of a chitin hydrogel was studied. Characterization techniques, such as FTIR, Raman, solid-state NMR, Dielectric Spectroscopy, Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to study the effect of SAT on the micro and nanostructure of the material in the wet, dry and freeze-dried states. It was demonstrated that the amount of SAT in the gelling solution can induce a variation in the supramolecular interaction among the polysaccharide chains, which leads to a change in the structural characteristics. In addition, it was observed that the polymer-water interactions are also altered by this structural ordering. Also, the affinity interaction with lysozyme was evaluated and an influence on the adsorption capacity was evidenced with the use of SAT. This could be an advance for biotechnological, biomedical, and food applications.

Mg-Fe layered double hydroxide modified montmorillonite as hydrophilic nanofiller in polysulfone- polyvinylpyrrolidone blend ultrafiltration membranes: separation of oil-water mixture

Montomorillonite (Mt) and MgFe layered double hydroxide modified Montmorillonite (LDH-Mt) were used as nanofillers in polysulfone - Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PSF-PVP) blend ultrafiltration membranes. The nanocomposite UF membranes and virgin PSF-PVP blend membranes were prepared by phase inversion method using water as the gelation medium. The membranes were characterized with respect to their surface hydrophilicity and roughness. Thermal stability, morphology and structure of the membranes were studied. LDH-Mt modified membranes were found to be the most hydrophilic, of best thermally stability and of highest surface roughness when compared with Mt modified and virgin PSF-PVP blend membranes. Asymmetric pore morphology is the characteristics of all the membranes. LDH-Mt modified membranes exhibited pure water flux (PWP) of 592 L m−2 h−1 whereas the values are 335.5 L m−2 h−1 and 208 L m−2 h−1 for Mt modified and virgin PSF-PVP blend membranes respectively indicating comparatively loose surface pore structure of the nanocomposite membranes. The membranes were used for the separation of oil-water mixture. The rejection of transformer oil and motor oil were found to be 87.2% and 95.9% for LDH-Mt modified membranes whereas for virgin PSF-PVP blend membranes the values are 71.8% and 88% respectively.

A facile route to the preparation of antibacterial polysulfone-sulfonated polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes using a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a cationic surfactant, is known to have strong bactericidal potential. In this study, we report a facile approach for preparing CTAB-containing polysulfone-sulfonated polyethersulfone (PSF-SPES) based ultrafiltration membranes with antibacterial properties. The CTAB was added in gelation medium at three different concentrations and made an electrostatic interaction with SPES at the polymer/bath interface during phase inversion. The successful incorporation of the CTAB in the membrane structure was confirmed by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The CTAB-containing membranes had higher contact angle, lower pure water permeability (PWP) and molecular weight cut-off than the pristine membrane. The membranes prepared at critical and above critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the CTAB showed excellent antibacterial activity on both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. On the other hand, the PWP of the membrane decreased from 93 ± 1.6 to 39.3 ± 3.2 L/m2 h bar upon increasing the CTAB concentration from 10−3 M (=CMC) to 10−2 M, consequently, CMC was chosen as the optimal concentration. The membrane prepared at the CMC displayed almost 100% flux recoveries after dynamic bacteria filtration followed by simple rinsing with PBS solution. Leaching experiments continued up to 30 days demonstrated that 96% of the CTAB remained in this membrane. Furthermore, at the end of 1 month of storage in 1 M NaCl solution, no change was observed in the antibacterial activity of this membrane compared to fresh membrane. These findings emphasize the potential of the facile approach proposed in this study to develop antibacterial ultrafiltration membranes in a single step.

Multistimuli-Responsive Self-Healable and Moldable Nickel(II)-Based Gels for Reversible Gas Adsorption and Palladium Sequestration via Gel-to-Gel Transformation.

We report the in situ formation of Ni-based supramolecular organogel and organic-aqueous gels using amine appended triazole ligand, having varying morphology and rheological properties. These gels are self-healable and moldable or injectable respectively depending on the absence or presence of water in the gelation medium. Our studies reveal that the formation and rupture of hydrogen bonds assisted by the solvent movement is responsible for the self-healing nature of the gels. The porous structure of the gel has been observed from the migration of dye molecules on the self-healed gel. In addition, the gels show dual function of reversible adsorption of toxic gases and sequestration of heavy metal ions, especially palladium via gel-to-gel transformation. It is imperative to stress that such transformation is extremely rare for small molecule based metallogels. The dynamic nature of Ni-Ntriazole interactions has been utilized in achieving the reversible gas/vapor responsive behavior of the metallogels, which could be suitable in developing colorimetric probes for the detection of toxic gases and heavy metal ions. Such multifunctional gels are exceptional in contemporary literature and are expected to find utility in fabricating smart multistimuli-responsive gel-based materials in the future.

Study of 3D-printed chitosan scaffold features after different post-printing gelation processes

3D biomaterial manufacturing strategies show an extraordinary driving force for the development of innovative therapies in the tissue engineering field. Here, the behaviour of 3D printed chitosan (CH)-based scaffolds was explored as a function of the post-printing gelation process. To this purpose, gel forming properties of different media were tested on their capability to retain 3D structure, water content, mechanical resistance and surface/internal porosity. Three different gelation media (i.e. KOH 1.5 M, Na2CO3 1.5 M, ammonia vapours) were selected and the 3D CH scaffolds were tested in terms of biocompatibility toward fibroblast as skin associated human cell line.

Production of more ideal uranium trioxide microspheres for the sol-gel microsphere pelletization process without the use of carbon

Renewed interest by the U.S. Department of Energy in the sol-gel microsphere pelletization process led to an evaluation of dried uranium trioxide (UO3) microspheres produced without the use of carbon by the internal gelation process at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. An earlier study has shown that less dense UO3 microspheres led to uranium dioxide pellets with higher densities. This effort identified feed formulations that produced dried UO3 microspheres with the lowest tap densities for gelation temperatures of 333, 343, 353, and 363 K. The tap densities of these dried UO3 microspheres ranged from 680 to 820 kg/m3, which were significantly lower than the previously reported low UO3 density of 900 kg/m3. This study confirmed an earlier observation that the effects of gelation conditions on the properties of the gel sphere are complex since only two of the four best formulations were similar in composition. The need to age the wet gel spheres in the gelation medium for 20 min at the end of the experiment was also confirmed.

Effect of Sol Concentration, Aging and Drying Process on Cerium Stabilization Zirconium Gel Produced by External Gelation

Cerium Stabilized Zirconium gel has been prepared using external gelation process. As the raw materials was used ZrO(NO3)2 and Ce(NO3)4 nitrate salt which was dissolved with water into Zr-Ce nitrate mixture. The concentration of the nitrate salt mixture in the sol solution was varied by varying the concentration of zirconium and cerium nitrate in the sol solution and the addition of PVA and THFA to produce a sol with a viscosity of 40-60 cP. The viscosity range of 40-60cP is the viscosity of the sol solution that was easy to produce a good gel in the gelation apparatus. Sol solution was casted in a gelation column equipped with following tools: a 1 mm diameter drip nozzle which was vibrated to adjust the best frequency and amplitude of vibration, a flow meter to measure the flow rate of sol, flowing of NH3 gas to presolidification process. Gelation column was contained NH4OH solution as gelation medium and gel container to collect gel product. Gel obtained from the gelation process than processed with ageing, washing, drying and calcinations to get round gel and not broken at calcinations up to 500°C. The parameters observed in this research are variation of Zr nitrate concentration, Ce nitrate concentration, ratio of Zr and Ce in the sol and ageing and drying process method which was appropriate to get a good gel. From the gelation processes that has been done, it can be seen that with the presolidification process can be obtained a round gel and without presolidification process, produce not round gel. In the process of ageing to get not broken gel, ageing was done on the rotary flask so that during the ageing, gels rotate in gelation media. Gels, then be washed by dilute ammonium nitrate, demireralized water and iso prophyl alcohol. The washed gel was then dried by vacuum drying to form pores on the gel which become the path for the gases resulting from decomposition of the gel to exit the gel. Vacuum drying can prevent cracking because the pores allow the gel to release the decomposition of the material during heating. Larger the concentration of nitric metal in sol solution, yields a gel with a larger diameter of gels. This research allows us to plan the diameter of the sintered particles to be made.

Development and evaluation of floating alginate microspheres for oral delivery of anthocyanins - A preliminary investigation.

The goal of this study was to develop floating microspheres that could be used as gastroretentive systems for the delivery of anthocyanins (ACNs). These compounds are absorbed in the stomach and small intestine, and insufficient residence time in these organs could result in limited absorption and contribute to degradation. The microparticles containing freeze‐dried haskap berry extract (321.96 ± 8.35 mg cyanidin 3‐glucoside equivalents per g) were prepared by ionotropic gelation of alginate (9%, w/w) with calcium ions (CaCl2 at 2%, w/v) in the gelation bath, with calcium carbonate as the gas‐generating compound (added at different ratios in the alginate/extract mixture). The effect of acetic acid concentration (2 and 10%, v/v) in the gelation medium was investigated. Increasing the carbonate : alginate weigh ratio from 0 to 3:4 resulted in different degrees of floatability, larger particles, higher encapsulation efficiency, and lower amount of ACN released. The power law equation fitted the experimental data well, indicating that release occurred mainly by diffusion. This is the first time floating microspheres are proposed as gastroretentive platforms for the delivery of ACNs.

Reducing the microcapsule diameter by micro-emulsion to improve the insecticidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis encapsulated formulations

ABSTRACTThe emulsion/internal gelation method is highly effective to produce microcapsules of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in a short time; however, it has the limitation to produce microcapsules within a wide range of diameters (1–1000 µm). The aim of this study was to reduce the range of small microcapsule diameters by using a water/corn-oil (W/CO) micro-emulsion as the dispersing medium and the mixture Tween 80–Span 80 as the surfactant. It involved the development of the W/CO micro-emulsion and the determination of the suitable agitation time to disperse the gelling medium (sodium alginate) through the micro-emulsion. A micro-emulsion formulation that allowed reduction of the microcapsule diameter was composed of 82% corn oil, 12% alginate solution and 6% surfactant mixture Tween80–Span80 (31:69). Evaluation of four dispersing times showed that 45 min was suitable to produce 75% of microcapsules of an average diameter of 3.1 ± 1 µm containing the spore–protein complex (SPC) produced by Bt. Bioassays carried out at low concentrations of microencapsulated formulations of cry proteins allowed determination of how its insecticidal effect increased if the range of microcapsule diameters was reduced in the range 1–9 µm. Furthermore, the SPC formulation in alginate microcapsules showed high resistance to extreme irradiation (2.9 ± 0.5 × 108 erg) of a long wavelength (365 nm), which made the microencapsulated formulation profitable and of high yield since repeated applications of the biopesticide during the same harvest period may not be necessary.

Porous BPPO-based membranes modified by aromatic amine for acid recovery

Abstract This study reports novel triphenylamine based porous anion exchange membranes (AEMs) with brominated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenyleneoxide) (BPPO) acting as a polymer backbone for acid recovery via diffusion dialysis. Physiochemical properties and electrochemical performance of prepared membranes were tuned by varying the dosage of triphenylamine and concentration of gelatin medium. Thermal property like thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was investigated along with water uptake (WR), ion exchange capacity (IEC), linear expansion ratio, etc. The effect of triphenylamine content inside BPPO backbone was discussed in brief relation with acid recovery. The porous AEMs showed the water uptake (WR) values of 159.3–243.5%, ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 0.97–1.49 mmol/g and linear expansion ratios of 3.23–6.45%. The acid dialysis coefficients (UH) for different AEMs were found to be 0.0056–0.0104 m/h while the separation factors (S) between HCl and FeCl2 varied from 21.9 to 38.8 at 25 °C. The obtained values are comparable to those of commercial membrane DF-120B (0.004 m/h for UH, 24.3 for S at 25 °C). The effect of gelation medium on the morphology and DD performance of the selected membrane has also been investigated. The membranes reported in this manuscript are promising candidate for acid recovery via diffusion dialysis.

Thoria based inert matrix fuel production via sol–gel process

There is an important concern that uranium reserves will not be sufficient for new nuclear facilities in the future. Thorium could offer a potential alternative fuel because it is three times more abundant than uranium. Thorium based nuclear fuels are important candidates for the future of nuclear fuels. The main interest is in considering thorium based fuels for burning plutonium in conventional reactors. Thoria based inert matrix fuels (IMF) are also candidates for burning plutonium and the transmutation of minor actinides. In this study, inert matrix fuel production was examined by external gelation process. Metal nitrate solution of each material (thorium nitrate, cerium nitrate, aluminum nitrate and magnesium nitrate) were mixed for the feed solution. The metal nitrate solution was 50% of total feed solution. After mixing the metal nitrate, solution polyvinyl alcohol (PVA, 10%) and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA, 40%) were added into mixed metal nitrate solution during stirring. PVA, THFA and metal nitrate solution were dropped through a nozzle into gelation medium ammonia solution. Then external gelation process was carried out. Cerium (Ce) was used to simulate Plutonium (Pu). Obtained gels from the external gelation process were aged, washed and dried. The powders were calcinated at 1273 K for 6 h. After calcination, the powders were pressed at 500 MPa with a manual press. Pellets were sintered at elevated temperatures (1473, 1573, 1673, 1773, 1873, and 1973 K) for 4 h. The densities of sintered pellets were measured by immersion method. Sintered pellets characteristics were determined by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction analysis and energy dispersive x-ray analysis and the results were discussed.

Prosopis alba exudate gum as excipient for improving fish oil stability in alginate–chitosan beads

The aim of the present work was to employ an exudate gum obtained from a South American wild tree (Prosopis alba), as wall material component to enhance the oxidative stability of fish oil encapsulated in alginate–chitosan beads. For this purpose, beads were vacuum-dried and stored under controlled conditions. Oxidation products, fatty acid profiles and lipid health indices were measured during storage. Alginate–chitosan interactions and the effect of gum were manifested in the FT-IR spectra. The inclusion of the gum in the gelation media allowed decreasing the oxidative damage during storage in comparison to the free oil and alginate–chitosan beads. The gum also improved wall material properties, providing higher oil retention during the drying step and subsequent storage. Fatty acids quality and lipid health indices were widely preserved in beads containing the gum. Present results showed a positive influence of the gum on oil encapsulation and stability, being the main mechanism attributed to a physical barrier effect.

Preparation of hydrophilic nanofiltration membranes for removal of pharmaceuticals from water.

Asymmetric polyethersulfone (PES) nanofiltration membranes were prepared via phase inversion technique. PES polymer, Brij 58 as surfactant additive, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as pore former and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent were used in preparation of the casting solutions. Distillated water was used as the gelation media. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and measurements of contact angle (CA) and zeta potential were used to characterize the prepared membranes. Also performance of the membranes was examined by determining the pure water flux (PWF) and pharmaceuticals rejection. The addition of Brij 58 to the casting solution resulted in formation of the membranes with higher thickness and more porous structure in the sublayer in comparison with the net PES membrane. The surface hydrophilicity of the membranes was remarkably enhanced via the presence of Brij 58 in the casting solution, so that, the contact angel diminished from 74.7° to 28.3° with adding 6 wt. % of Brij 58 to the casting solution. The addition of Brij 58 to the casting solution resulted in formation of the membranes with superior PWF and higher rejection of amoxicillin and ceftriaxone in comparison with the pure PES membrane.

Impact of gelation period on modified locust bean-alginate interpenetrating beads for oral glipizide delivery

In this work, the effect of hydrogelation period in the design of glipizide-loaded biopolymer-based interpenetrating network (IPN) beads was investigated. Carboxymethyl locust bean gum and sodium alginate IPN beads were prepared by ionic crosslinking method using aqueous aluminium chloride salt solution as gelation medium. The longer exposure of the IPN beads in the gelation medium caused a considerable loss of the drug (∼8%), and also affected their surface morphology and drug release performance. Spherical shape of the IPN beads was observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The diameter of IPN beads increased with increasing gelation time. The IPNs cured for 0.5h exhibited slower drug release kinetics in HCl (pH 1.2) and phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) solution than those incubated for 1–2h. The drug release occurred at a faster rate in phosphate buffer solution and continued for a minimum period of 8h. The IPNs cured for the lowest period obeyed polymer chain-relaxation phenomenon as dominating mechanism for drug release. However, all the IPNs followed anomalous mechanism of drug transport. The drug release corroborated well with pH-dependent swelling behaviors of the IPNs. Thus, IPN beads cured for 0.5h were found most suitable for controlled delivery of BCS class II anti-diabetic drug glipizide.