Synthesis and characterization of temperature-sensitive microspheres based on acrylamide grafted hydroxypropyl cellulose and chitosan for the controlled release of amoxicillin trihydrate

This study deals with the preparation of temperature-sensitive chitosan/hydroxypropyl cellulose-graft-polyacrylamide (CS/HPC-g-PAAm) blend microspheres as a controlled drug release system. For this purpose, HPC-g-PAAm copolymers of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) with acrylamide (AAm) were synthesized using cerium (IV) ammonium nitrate as initiator. The HPC-g-PAAm copolymers were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Lower critical solution temperatures (LCST) of the synthesized copolymers were determined. Temperature-sensitive blend microspheres of HPC-g-PAAm and chitosan were prepared by emulsion cross-linking method using glutaraldehyde (GA) as a cross-linker in the hydrochloric acid catalyst (HCl) and they were used to achieve controlled release of amoxicillin trihydrate (AMX), an antibiotic drug. The microspheres were characterized by DSC, X-ray diffraction (X-RD), and FTIR spectroscopy. In addition, surfaces of empty and drug-loaded microspheres were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of variables such as CS/HPC-g-PAAm ratio, drug/polymer ratio, amount of cross-linker, and reaction time of grafting on AMX release were investigated at three different pH environments (1.2, 6.8, 7.4) at 25 °C, 37 °C, and 50 °C. The release results showed that the microspheres had temperature sensitivity and the AMX release was slightly more controlled by especially increasing graft yield (%).