Hydrogels – Delivery Systems

Hydrogels – Delivery Systems

Hydrogel-based matrices are used to release, in a controll manner, active ingredients. These systems can be “loaded” with specific molecules/microparticles that can be released more or less gradually (controlled release) depending on external stimuli (change of temperature, pH, ionic strength and so forth). The active ingredient release mechanism is based on the ability of these systems to adsorb/desorb great amount of water (or biological fluids), that produces at the same time the structural change of the polymer network that, in turns, affects the mobility of the active ingredient and therefore the release toward the external environment. The pharma sector uses this technology to produce tablets that, depending on the polymer employed, can be designed to release the drug in a controll manner in different zones of the gastrointestinal tract. The same type of use can be exploited by the food sector to produce nutraceuticals. The agro sector instead make use of this technology to produce prolonged/controlled release agrochemicals/fertilizers, in granulate form, to reduce the number of treatments.

The study and understanding of the main phenomena that influence the behavior of these systems is therefore vital for proper design, manufacturing and application of matrix-based.

Do you want to know more about hydrogel and active ingredient delivery mechanism? Read this.

Research lines

The TPP group deals with the study of systems based on hydrogels with a combined approach, analyzing experimental and modeling aspects, to identify, quantify, and manipulate the key parameters that affect their behavior. Our research can be summarized as:

Characterization of the behavior of systems based on hydrogels

  • Analyses of the release of the active ingredient
    • Analytical quantification
  • Analyses of the swelling
    • Gravimetric techniques, image analyses, texture analyses
  • Analyses of the gel erosion
    • Gravimetric techniques, analytical quantification
  • Characterization of the sol-gel behavior in physical gels (i.e. HPMC)
    • Mechanical and reological tests

Related publications:

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Mathematical Modeling

  • Description of the release with semi-empirical equations
  • Mechanistic modeling of the hydrogel-based delivery systems:
    • Finite Element Analysis (FEM)
      • Active ingredient release
      • Water adsorption
      • System deformation
      • Polymer erosion
      • System mechanics
        • Multiphasic approach
        • Monophasic approach

Related publications:

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