Development and in-vitro tuning of linseed mucilage containing hydrogel microparticles for controlled delivery of Venlafaxine HCl
摘要
The aimed to develop and characterize a novel pH-responsive polymeric network for controlled delivery of venlafaxine hydrochloride (VLX). For this purpose, linseed mucilage-co-poly acrylic acid (LM-co-poly (AA)) hydrogel microparticles were fabricated via free radical polymerization by employing LM as a natural polymer, AA as a monomer, and N, N-methylene bis-acrylamide (MBA) as a cross-linker. The VLX-loaded network was evaluated for several parameters, i.e., gel fraction, compositional and structural features, morphological analysis, swelling, and in-vitro release (%). Moreover, the optimized formulation was investigated for toxic effects by conducting acute oral toxicity studies in healthy albino rabbits. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal analysis (TA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis revealed the formation of a compatible, thermally stable, and amorphous cross-linked system containing an encapsulated drug. Hydrogel microparticles proved to be pH-responsive as evidenced by significant swelling (58.36%–91.25%) and drug release (76.55%–94.41%) at pH 7.4, while minimum swelling and release were reported at pH 1.2. The carrier system proved its safety, as no signs of lesions, degeneration, or any toxicity were revealed. Therefore, the LM-based system proved to be a potential pH-responsive carrier system for the efficient delivery of therapeutic agents.