• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.983-987
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• 2005

Hydrogels composed of glycidyl methacrylate dextran (GMD) and poly(acrylic acid, PM) were prepared by UV irradiation method for colon-specific drug delivery. GMD was synthesized by coupling of glycidyl methacrylate to dextran in the presence of 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine. GMD was photo-polymerized by ammonium peroxydisulfate as initiating system in phosphate­buffered solution (0.1 M, pH 7.4). And then, acrylic acid monomer was added and subsequently heat-polymerized by 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The hydrogels exhibited high swelling ratio (about 20) at $37^{\circ}C$, and showed a pH-dependent swelling behavior. In addition, the swelling ratio of the hydrogel was remarkably enhanced to about 45 times in the presence of dextranase at pH 7.4. The swelling-deswelling behavior proceeded reversibly for the GMD/PM hydrogels between pH 2 and pH 7.4. Release of 5-aminosalicylic acid from the GMD/PAA hydrogels was evaluated in simulated gastrointestinal pH fluids in the absence or presence of dextranase. We concluded that the hydrogels prepared could be used as a dual-sensitive drug carrier for sequential release in gastrointestinal tract.