Carboxymethyl Chitosan/Starch/CuO Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Controlled Release of Amoxicillin

The drug delivery approach was developed through effective preparation of nanocomposite hydrogels in situ while CuO nanoparticles were being formed within swollen CMCS/starch hydrogels. Nanocomposite hydrogel have obtained significant attention in recent years as one of the most promising nanoparticulate drug delivery systems owing to their unique potentials by combining the characteristics of a hydrogel system with a nanoparticle. The obtained nanocomposite hydrogels were used as a potential candidate for controlled release of amoxicillin drug. Different experimental techniques, including XRD, EDX, and SEM were applied to study and compare the prepared hydrogels. XRD and EDX analyses confirmed the formation of nanoparticles in the hydrogel matrix, while SEM micrographs showed that CuO nanoparticles ranged from 13.89 to 47.78 nm within the same matrix, respectively. According to the results, increased number of nanoparticles resulted from increased ion concentration. At pH 1.2 and pH 7.4, the nanocomposite hydrogels were investigated in terms of the swelling behavior; in comparison with neat CMCS/starch hydrogel, they showed a pH-sensitive swelling ratio. Prolonged and more controlled drug releases were observed for CuO nanoparticle containing CMCS/starch hydrogel, which increased with the rise in CuO nanoparticle content. Lay Summary The objective of this study is to prepare a new, improved drug release using pH-sensitive polymers of carboxymethyl chitosan/starch with the weight ratios of 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3 containing copper oxide nanoparticles. Through in situ formation of nanoparticles in the CMCS/starch hydrogel matrix, the successful preparation of new CMCS/starch nanocomposite hydrogels was achieved. It was attempted to show how the concentration of the nanoparticles in the nanocomposite hydrogel influences the swelling behavior in buffer solutions and drug release behavior.