Use of polyvinyl alcohol-based cationic hydrogels modified with gold nanoparticles as drug and gene delivery systems with enhanced antibacterial properties

In this study, PVA/p(HEMA-co-MAPTAC) hydrogels were synthesized by redox polymerization using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and [3-(Methacryloylamino) pro-pyl]trimethylammonium chloride (MAPTAC). In order to increase the antimicrobial activities of synthesized PVA/p(HEMA-co-MAPTAC) hydrogels, they were modified with Au nanoparticles. The swelling behavior of the synthesized hydrogels was investigated. Hydrogels were characterized by various techniques. The drug release studies of PVA/p(HEMA-co-MAPTAC) and PVA/p(HEMA-co-MAPTAC)@Au hydrogels were performed in PBS medium using Ribonucleic acid (RNA) as genetic material and sodium diclofenac (NaDc) as drug. It was determined that PVA/p(HEMA-co-MAPTAC) hydrogel held 91.5 mg/g RNA and 97.48 mg/g NaDc and released 28.32 mg/g RNA and 71.12 mg/g NaDc in PBS medium. Subsequently, PVA/p(HEMA-co-MAPTAC)@Au hydrogel adsorbed 87.46 mg/g RNA and 119.44 mg/g NaDc and released 18.96 mg/g RNA, 104.99 mg/g NaDc drug in PBS medium. Using the data obtained at the end of the release studies, the drug release kinetics of the hydrogels were examined. According to the Korsmeyer Peppas model, RNA release from hydrogels showed Fickian diffusion, while NaDc release showed non-Fickian diffusion behavior. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the hydrogels were tested using gram-negative bac-teria E. coli, gram-positive bacteria B. subtilis and a fungus species C. albicans.