title: New biodegradable hydrogels based on a photocrosslinkable modified polyaspartamide: synthesis and characterization.
abstract: alpha,beta-Poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA), a synthetic water-soluble biocompatible polymer, was derivatized with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), in order to introduce in its structure chemical residues having double bonds and ester groups. The obtained copolymer (PHG) contained 29 mol% of GMA residues. PHG aqueous solutions at various concentrations ranging from 30 to 70 mg/ml were exposed to a source of UV rays at lambda 254 nm in the presence or in the absence of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS); the formation of compact gel phases was observed beginning from 50 mg/ml. The obtained networks were characterized by FT-IR spectrophotometry and swelling measurements which evidenced the high affinity of PHG hydrogels towards aqueous media at different pH values. In vitro chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis studies suggested that the prepared samples undergo a partial degradation both at pH 1 and pH 10 and after incubation with enzymes such as esterase, pepsin and alpha-chymotrypsin. Finally, the effect of irradiation time on the yield and the properties of these hydrogels was investigated and the sol fractions coming from irradiated samples, properly purified, were characterized by FT-IR and 1H-NMR analyses.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy. gaegiamm@mbox.unipa.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giammona
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pitarresi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavallaro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buscemi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saiano
mesh_terms: D000178:Acrylamides / Q000737:chemistry; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry*; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000178:Acrylamides; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D020100:Hydrogels; D008689:Methacrylates; D010455:Peptides; D011108:Polymers; C008965:alpha,beta-poly((2-hydroxyethyl)-aspartamide); D014867:Water; C021221:N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide; C007870:glycidyl methacrylate