Gel-embedded niosomes: preparation, characterization and release studies of a new system for topical drug delivery

In the present paper physical gels, prepared with two polysaccharides, Xanthan and Locust Bean Gum, and loaded with non-ionic surfactant vesicles, are described. The vesicles, composed by Tween20 and cholesterol or by Tween85 and Span20, were loaded with Monoammonium glycyrrhizinate for release experiments. Size and zeta (ζ)-potential of the vesicles were evaluated and the new systems were characterized by rheological and dynamo-mechanical measurements. For an appropriate comparison, a Carbopol gel and a commercial gel for topical applications were also tested. The new formulations showed mechanical properties comparable with those of the commercial product indicating their suitability for topical applications. In vitro release experiments showed that the polysaccharide network protects the integrity of the vesicles and leads to their slow release without disruption of the aggregated structures. Furthermore, being the vesicles composed of molecules possessing enhancing properties, the permeation of the loaded drugs topically delivered can be improved. Thus, the new systems combine the advantages of matrices for a modified release (polymeric component) and those of an easier permeability across the skin (vesicle components). Finally, shelf live experiments indicated that the tested gel/vesicle formulations were stable over 1 year with no need of preservatives.

NMR study of the gelation of a designed gelator

The gelation of a designed gelator was investigated by different NMR methods, which showed a clear thermal hysteresis. Two very simple approaches for the NMR determination of the gelation point are suggested. One involves the observation of the NMR integral, and the other records the ratio of the diffusion coefficients between the gelator and the solvent. Differential behavior of the gelator protons are interpreted as a hint that a part of the gelator molecule might still be flexible as in the dissolved state.

Characterization of polysaccharide hydrogels for modified drug delivery

Hydrogels are hydrophilic macromolecular networks that are capable of retaining a large amount of water. A precise description of these systems is actually quite complex and the practical use of hydrogels for drug delivery and biomedical applications is often not supported by a well-defined knowledge of the overall structure of the polymeric network. In this paper, we report the characterization of two different systems: a chemical network based on Guar Gum (GG) and a physical gel prepared with Xanthan (Xanth) and Locust Bean Gum (LBG). The dynamo-mechanical properties of the gels were analysed: the cohesiveness and the adhesion of the networks were strongly dependent on time, temperature, and composition. The kinetics of the chemical crosslinking was followed by means of rheological measurements, i.e. recording the mechanical spectra of the gelling system, and the power law exponent at the gel point was evaluated. Furthermore, the networks, loaded with model drugs with different steric hindrance, were used as matrices for tablets and the rate of release of such model drugs was studied. The diffusion of the guest molecules was deeply dependent on their dimensions; in the case of Xanth-LBG tablets the release profiles were almost independent from the different cohesion properties of the starting hydrogel composition.

Diffusion NMR as a New Method for the Determination of the Gel Point of Gelatin

The gelation of gelatin has been investigated using pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR. For the first time, diffusion results have been used to determine the gelation point, which is indicated by a minimum in the self-diffusion coefficient of the free polymer fraction vs temperature. Biexponential analysis of the diffusion decay data allowing the diffusion of free and network-bound gelatin to be determined separately has been applied to provide an extended insight into the gelation process. Low-amplitude oscillatory shear rheology and time-resolved dynamic light scattering (DLS) as classical polymer characterization methods were applied as control experiments. All three methods yielded a gelation temperature of 24-25 degrees C for the cooling regime. Hysteresis effects could also be observed.