Preparation and characterization of superporous hydrogels as gastroretentive drug delivery system for rosiglitazone maleate

Background and the purpose of the study: Many drugs which have narrow therapeutic window and are absorbed mainly in stomach have been developed as gastroretentive delivery system. Rosiglitazone maleate, an anti-diabetic, is highly unstable at basic pH and is extensively absorbed from the stomach. Hence there is a need to develop a gastroretentive system. In this study a superporous hydrogel was developed as a gastroretentive drug delivery system. Methods: Chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) interpenetrating polymer network type superporous hydrogels were prepared using a gas foaming method employing glyoxal as the crosslinking agent for Rosiglitazone maleate. Sodium bicarbonate was applied as a foaming agent to introduce the porous structure. Swelling behaviors of superporous hydrogel in acidic solution were studied to investigate their applications for gastric retention device. The optimum preparation condition of superporous hydrogels was obtained from the gelation kinetics. FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy, porosity and swelling ratio studies were used to characterize these polymers. In vitro drug release studies were also carried out. Results: The introduction of a small amount of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) enhanced the mechanical strength but slightly reduced the swelling ratio. The prepared superporous hydrogels were highly sensitive to pH of swelling media, and showed reversible swelling and de-swelling behaviors maintaining their mechanical stability. The degradation kinetics in simulated gastric fluid showed that it had biodegradability. Swelling was dependent on the amount of chitosan and crosslinker. The drug release from superporous hydrogels was sustained for 6 hrs. Major Conclusion: The studies showed that chitosan-based superporous hydrogels could be used as a gastroretentive drug delivery system for rosiglitazone maleate in view of their swelling and prolonged drug release characteristics in acidic pH.