Designing biocompatible sterile organogel–bigel formulations for drug delivery applications using green protocol

Abstract

Present article discusses the formation of a bigel formulation for drug delivery applications via a newly developed green approach using gamma radiation induced crosslinking. Bigels were prepared using olive oil/sorbitan-monopalmitate/sterculia gum and are designated as green alternative renewable materials. The polymer samples were characterized by cryo-SEMs, FTIR, ¹³C NMR, TGA, DTG, DSC, microscopic analysis and swelling studies. The release profile of a drug moxifloxacin was determined along with the evaluation of various biomedical properties, including biocompatibility and mucoadhesion, as well as antioxidant and mechanical properties. The release profile of drug moxifloxacin from olive oil–SMP–sterculia-cl-poly(acrylamide) (AAm) bigels followed non-Fickian diffusion mechanism. The release profile of the drug from drug loaded olive oil–SMP–sterculia-cl-poly(AAm) bigels was best fitted by Higuchi kinetic model. The results indicated that sterile and pure bigel formulations could be used as gastrointestinal drug delivery systems owing to their haemocompatible, non-haemolytic, mucoadhesive, antioxidant and viscoelastic nature.