Swelling behavior of cross-linked dextran hydrogels and preliminary Gliclazide release behavior.

In this study, dextran (Dex) has been cross-linked with epichlorohydrin (Ech) to yield cross-linked hydrogels. These gels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The water absorption behavior of gels was studied in simulating gastric fluid (SGF) and simulating intestinal fluid (SIF) at 37°C. The data was interpreted by various kinetic models. The swelling was found to be totally diffusion controlled. The equilibrium data was also used to calculate network parameters. The antidiabetic drug Gliclazide (Glz) was loaded to the gels and its release was investigated in the media of varying pH, to mimic transition from mouth to colon. Finally, the in-vivo study on "Albino Wistar rats" was carried out to investigate the efficiency of the formulations. The drug-loaded hydrogel was found to be quite effective in reducing the glucose level at lower administration frequency as compared to the plain drug.