In Vitro Evaluation of Kaempferol-Loaded Hydrogel as pH-Sensitive Drug Delivery Systems

Qin Zhang; Xinying Yang; Yifang Wu; Chang Liu; Hongmei Xia; Xiaoman Cheng; Yongfeng Cheng; Ying Xia; Yu Wang

doi:10.3390/polym14153205

In Vitro Evaluation of Kaempferol-Loaded Hydrogel as pH-Sensitive Drug Delivery Systems

Polymers (Basel). 2022 Aug 5;14(15):3205. doi: 10.3390/polym14153205.

Authors

Qin Zhang¹, Xinying Yang¹, Yifang Wu¹, Chang Liu¹, Hongmei Xia¹, Xiaoman Cheng¹, Yongfeng Cheng^{2

3}, Ying Xia¹, Yu Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China.
² Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, China.
³ School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to prepare and evaluate kaempferol-loaded carbopol polymer (acrylic acid) hydrogel, investigate its antioxidant activity in vitro, and compare the effects on drug release under different pH conditions. Drug release studies were conducted in three different pH media (pH 3.4, 5.4, and 7.4). The kaempferol-loaded hydrogel was prepared by using carbopol 934 as the hydrogel matrix. The morphology and viscosity of the preparation were tested to understand the fluidity of the hydrogel. The antioxidant activity of the preparation was studied by scavenging hydrogen peroxide and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrilhidrazil (DPPH) radicals in vitro and inhibiting the production of malondialdehyde in mouse tissues. The results showed that kaempferol and its preparations had high antioxidant activity. In vitro release studies showed that the drug release at pH 3.4, 5.4, and 7.4 was 27.32 ± 3.49%, 70.89 ± 8.91%, and 87.9 ± 10.13%, respectively. Kaempferol-loaded carbopol hydrogel displayed greater swelling and drug release at higher pH values (pH 7.4).

Keywords: antioxidation; carbopol 934; different pH; drug release; kaempferol.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province of China grant number (1608085MH227), Department of Education of Anhui Province of China grant number (KJ2019A0470, KJ20190943, KJ2020A0222), Quality Engineering Project of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine in 2021 grant number (2021zlgc042), Quality Engineering Project of Anhui Provincial Department of Education in 2021 grant number (2021jyxm0824) and Anhui University of Chinese Medicine annual innovation training program for College Students grant number (2017142, 2017171).