title: A novel co-crosslinked polysaccharide: studies for a controlled delivery matrix.
abstract: The formulation of a new controlled delivery system, based on a novel type of matrix obtained by the chemical reaction carried out in an aqueous medium on a mixed physical gel of gellan and scleroglucan, is described in this paper. The preparation yielded a new co-crosslinked polysaccharide (CCP) hydrogel, bearing carboxylic groups, that showed a sustained release behaviour that can be modulated by means of calcium ions. For the characterization of CCP, diffusion experiments through the swelled hydrogel were carried out in different environmental conditions and the release from tablets prepared with CCP and a model drug was evaluated. The addition of CaCl2 in the formulation of the dosage forms allowed a further marked reduction in delivery rate to be obtained; this effect is to be related to the free ionized carboxylic groups still present in the gellan moiety of CCP. The different behaviour of Ca+2 and Na+ ions is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Studi di Chimica e Tecnologia delle Sostanze Biologicamente Attive. Università di Roma 'La Sapienza', 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Coviello
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dentini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rambone
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Desideri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carafa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murtas
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Riccieri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alhaique
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000737:chemistry*; D004058:Diffusion; D005782:Gels; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010539:Permeability; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry*; D013607:Tablets
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005782:Gels; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013607:Tablets; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D002118:Calcium