Authors: F Iemma U G Spizzirri F Puoci G Cirillo M Curcio O I Parisi N Picci
Publish Date: 2009/04/09
Volume: 287, Issue: 7, Pages: 779-787
Abstract
Novel thermoresponsive hydrophilic microspheres were prepared by free radical polymerization of methacrylate bovine serum albumin and Nisopropylacrylamide as crosslinker and functional monomer respectively The incorporation of monomers in the network was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy while the network density and shape of hydrogels strictly depend on concentration of monomers in the polymerization feed The thermal analyses showed negative thermoresponsive behavior with pronounced water affinity of microspheres at temperature lower than lower critical solution temperature LCST The in vitro release studies of drugloaded thermosensitive hydrogels were performed Experimental data showed for the copolymers with functional monomer/crosslinker ratio ≤ 1 a predominant drug release in the collapsed state while the copolymers with functional monomer/crosslinker ratio 1 showed prominent drug release in the swollen state Below the hydrogel LCST drug release through the swollen polymeric networks was observed while a squeezingout effect at temperature above the LCST was predominant
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