Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Synthesis and performance of pH-sensitive hydrogel microspheres and in vitro evaluation as potential drug carriers

  • Technical Paper
  • Published:
Microsystem Technologies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To accelerate the response rate of smart hydrogels to the environmental conditions, a novel pH-sensitive p(PEGMA-g-MAA) hydrogel microsphere with the controlled shapes and sizes were developed. Such monodispersed microspheres were synthesized via free radical polymerization under the protection of a multilayer stability system. The pH-responsibility of hydrogel microspheres was tested with the hydrogel bulk as a control. In vitro release studies were conducted in the simulated gastric fluid and intestinal juice with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model drug. The large specific surface areas endowed hydrogel microspheres a faster pH-responsibility than that of hydrogel bulk. In vitro release profiles showed that over 90 % BSA were released from hydrogel microspheres under the alkaline conditions (pH 7.4), which was faster than those from hydrogel bulks. In sum, the rapid pH-responsibility and ideal drug release profile could shorten the lag time to steady plasma-drug concentration, which was beneficial to increasing the therapeutic effect of the drugs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Scheme 1
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amin MCIM, Ahmad N, Halib N, Ahmad I (2012) Synthesis and characterization of thermo- and pH-responsive bacterial cellulose/acrylic acid hydrogels for drug delivery. Carbohyd Polym 88:465–473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casolaro M, Casolaro I, Lamponi S (2012) Stimuli-responsive hydrogels for controlled pilocarpine ocular delivery. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 80:553–561

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, Liu Y, Tang H, Tan H (2010) Study of carboxymethyl chitosan based polyampholyte superabsorbent polymer I Optimization of synthesis conditions and pH sensitive property study of carboxymethyl chitosan-g-poly(acrylic acid-co-dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) superabsorbent polymer. Carbohyd Polym 81:365–371

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eid M (2008) In vitro release studies of vitamin B12 from poly N-vinyl pyrrolidone/starch ydrogels grafted with acrylic acid synthesized by gamma radiation. Nucl Instrum Meth B 266:5020–5026

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao XY, He CL, Xiao CS, Zhuang XL, Chen XS (2013) Biodegradable pH-responsive polyacrylic acid derivative hydrogels with tunable swelling behavior for oral delivery of insulin. Polymer 54:1786–1793

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin X, Hsieh YL (2005) pH-responsive swelling behavior of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid) bi-component fibrous hydrogel membranes. Polymer 46:5149–5160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson BD, Beebe DJ, Crone WC (2004) Effects of swelling on the mechanical properties of a pH-sensitive hydrogel for use in microfluidic devices. Mat Sci Eng C 24:575–581

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kavimandana NJ, Losib E, Peppas NA (2006) Novel delivery system based on complexation hydrogels as delivery vehicles for insulin-transferrin conjugates. Biomaterials 27:3846–3854

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yun J, Kim HI, J (2009) Preparation of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid) microcapsules and microspheres and their pH-responsive release behavior. J Ind Eng Chem 15:902–906

  • Li X, Xu SM, Wang JD, Chen XZ, Feng S (2009) Structure and characterization of amphoteric semi-IPN hydrogel based on cationic starch. Carbohyd Polym 75:688–693

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang Y, Chen T, Cui Y, Tian R, Qi T, Shang Q (2014) Synthesis and performance of pH-sensitive hydrogel microspheres and in vitro evaluation as potential drug carriers. Adv Materials Res 936:751–756

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lugo MT, Garcia M, Record R, Peppas NA (2002) Physicochemical behavior and cytotoxic effects of p(methacrylic acid-g-ethylene glycol) nanoparticles for oral delivery of proteins. J Control Release 280:197–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mariko M, Takahiro G, Koji N, Anthony ML, Kozo T, Nicholas AP (2006) Novel oral insulin delivery systems based on complexation polymer hydrogels: single and multiple administration studies in type 1 and 2 diabetic rats. J Control Release 110:587–594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morishita M, Lowman AM, Takayama K, Nagai T, Peppas NA (2002) Elucidation of the mechanism of incorporation of insulin in controlled release systems based on complexation polymers. J Control Release 81:25–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naresh KB, Matthew S, Justin RB (2011) Chemistry between crosslinks affects the properties of peptide hydrogels. Mat Sci Eng C 31:1042–1049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phithupha C, Anuvat S, Sumonman N, Datchanee C, Kwanchanok VP (2009) Controlled transdermal iontophoresis of sulfosalicylic acid from polypyrrole/poly (acrylic acid) hydrogel. Int J Pharm 381:25–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pourjavadi A, Barzegar S, Zeidabadi F (2007) Synthesis and properties of biodegradable hydrogels of κ-carrageenan grafted acrylic acid-co-2-acrylamido-2- methylpropanesulfonic acid as candidates for drug delivery systems. React Funct Polym 67:644–654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shang Q, Zhang YH, Chen T, Liang YY, Shi YL (2013) Preliminary studies on pH-sensitive hydrogels and in vitro release profiles of two model drugs. J Biomat Sci-Polyme E 112:1459–1471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi YL, Zheng T, Shang Q (2012) Preparation of acrylic/acrylate copolymeric surfactants by emulsion polymerization used in pesticide oil-in-water emulsions. J Appl Polym Sci 123:3117–3127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spagnol C, Rodrigues FHA, Pereira AGB, Fajardo AR, Rubira AF, Muniz EC (2012) Superabsorbent hydrogel composite made of cellulose nanofibrils and chitosan- graft-poly(acrylic acid). Carbohyd Polym 87:2038–2045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang K, Fu SZ, Gu YC, Xu X, Dong PW, Guo G, Zhao X, Wei YQ, Qian ZY (2009a) Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable pH-sensitive hydrogels based on poly(ε-caprolactone), methacrylic acid, and poly(ethylene glycol). Polym Degrad Stabil 94:730–737

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Q, Zhang JP, Wang AQ (2009b) Preparation and characterization of a novel pH-sensitive chitosan-g-poly (acrylic acid)/attapulgite/sodium alginate composite hydrogel bead for controlled release of diclofenac sodium. Carbohyd Polym 78:731–737

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood KM, Stone GM, Peppas NA (2010) The effect of complexation hydrogels on insulin transport in intestinal epithelial cell models. Acta Biomater 6:48–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YH, Shang Q, Zheng T, Liang YY, Chen T (2012) Preparation of pH sensitive hydrogels for oral delivery of proteins. icBEB2012 Conference, pp 457–560

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the financial support by the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei province, China (No. C2011208111).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering Institute, Hebei University of Science and Technology, 050000, Hebei, China

    Ruiqiong Tian, Yuanyuan Liang, Xiaoyun Zhang, Yuqin Cui, Yingge Zhao, Jing Zhang, Xiaoyang Liang, Tong Chen & Qing Shang

  2. Samsung High Tech Electro-Mechanics (Tianjin) Co., Ltd, Tianjin, 300393, China

    Xiaona Lin

Authors
  1. Ruiqiong Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yuanyuan Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiaoyun Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yuqin Cui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yingge Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jing Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Xiaoyang Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Tong Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Qing Shang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Xiaona Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qing Shang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tian, R., Liang, Y., Zhang, X. et al. Synthesis and performance of pH-sensitive hydrogel microspheres and in vitro evaluation as potential drug carriers. Microsyst Technol 21, 2287–2296 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-014-2355-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-014-2355-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation