Double network hydrogel based on PVA and CMC: synthesis and its potential application in local drug delivery

Local drug delivery systems are capable of concentrating optimal doses of drugs to the target regions without affecting healthy tissues. Hydrogels have extensive applications in tissue regeneration, treating diseases, and drug delivery and have recently been employed in localized drug delivery. In the present study, a novel thermo-sensitive double network hydrogel (DNH) was prepared based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC). The formation of the hydrogel was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and swelling test. Scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis were used to investigate the morphology and the pore size of the hydrogel, respectively. The tensile test was also performed to determine the amount of stretch and the fracture point of the DNH. The tensile strength of the DNH was found to be 24.7795 kPa. In the next step, a complex of doxorubicin with Fe2+ (Dox-Fe2+) was prepared, and the formation of the complex was investigated by FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The release profile of the complex from DNH was studied at various pH and temperatures. The results confirmed the sustained and temperature-dependent release of doxorubicin complex. The kinetic studies of drug release by the DNH showed that the release of Dox-Fe2+ complex follows the Korsmeyer-Peppas model.