title: Gelatin-based emulsion gels for diffusion-controlled release applications.
abstract: Emulsion gels are now emerging as a new class of biomaterials for controlled-release applications. Novel food-grade emulsion gels consisting of indomethacin-loaded vegetable oil droplets dispersed within genipin-cross-linked gelatin-based hydrogels were characterized for their physical  and drug-release properties. Varying the weight ratio of the aqueous and oil phases between 5:1 and 5:5 was used to modulate construct swelling and drug release. The dispersed oil droplets generally became larger, more polydispersed and aggregated with an increase in oil fraction. Cross-linking  with genipin increased the puncture strength of the gels vs. their uncross-linked counterparts and was necessary to prevent breakdown. Swelling of the emulsion gels demonstrated Fickian behaviour at all gelatin: oil ratios. Indomethacin release followed Fickian diffusion at higher oil  fractions only, demonstrating coupled Fickian and super-Case-II transport at lower oil ratios (5:1, 5:2 and 5:3). Overall, the introduction of a dispersed oil phase within a hydrogel was exploited for the release of hydrophobic bioactive compounds, with tailoring of composition used to significantly  alter release kinetics.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur, Kharagpur-721302, India.
authors.forename: Goutam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thakur
authors.forename: Muhammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Naqvi
authors.forename: Dérick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rousseau
authors.forename: Kunal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: Analava
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004058:Diffusion; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D004655:Emulsions; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D005782:Gels; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D039823:Iridoids / Q000737:chemistry; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry; D012995:Solubility; D013552:Swine; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004655:Emulsions; D005782:Gels; D039823:Iridoids; D010938:Plant Oils; D014867:Water; D005780:Gelatin; C007834:genipin; D007213:Indomethacin