pH- and temperature-sensitive permeation through polyelectrolyte complex films composed of chitosan and polyalkyleneoxide–maleic acid copolymer

✍ Scribed by Toru Yoshizawa; Yoshitsune Shin-ya; Kyung-Jin Hong; Toshio Kajiuchi

• Book ID: 104053882
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 159 KB
• Volume: 241
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0376-7388
• DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2004.06.006

✦ Synopsis

The pH-and temperature-effects on drug permeation from polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) films composed of a cationic polymer, chitosan (CS) and an anionic polymer, polyalkyleneoxide-maleic acid copolymer (PAOMA), have been investigated. In this study, we prepared and investigated PEC films for utility as on-off switches in drug transport. PEC films were prepared by a casting/solvent evaporation method. PEC films swelled at low pH and low temperature. This swelling behavior was reversible with the films responding rapidly to a change in environmental pH and temperature. Drug permeation rates were tested with pH 3.8 and 6.2 at 25 and 50 • C. Salicylic acid, phenol and glucose were selected as model drugs to examine the effect of molecular weight. A decrease in pH from 6.2 to 3.8 and an increase in temperature from 25 to 50 • C resulted in a corresponding increase in the rate of drug permeation. Of the three model drugs tested, glucose, with the highest molecular weight showed the lowest effective diffusion coefficient.