Macromolecular Bioscience 2008-10-08

Hydrogels for potential colon drug release by thiol-ene conjugate addition of a new inulin derivative.

Giovanna Pitarresi, Giuseppe Tripodo, Rossella Calabrese, Emanuela Fabiola Craparo, Mariano Licciardi, Gaetano Giammona

Index: Macromol. Biosci. 8(10) , 891-902, (2008)

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Abstract

Inulin was chosen as a starting polymer for biocompatible, pH-sensitive and biodegradable hydrogels. Three INUDVSA-TT hydrogels were obtained by crosslinking inulin derivatives with trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercaptopropionate) under varying conditions. The resulting hydrogels were cell compatible, as demonstrated by MTS and trypan blue exclusion assays acting on Caco-2 cells, and were biodegraded by inulinase and esterase, thus suggesting their use as colonic drug delivery systems. 2-Methoxyestradiol, an anti-cancer drug, was soaked in INUDVSA-TT hydrogels and its in vitro release and apoptotic effect on Caco-2 cells were evaluated.