Enoxaparin-immobilized poly(ε-caprolactone)- based nanogels for sustained drug delivery systems

Abstract

AbstractEnoxaparin-immobilized gelatin/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) or Eudragit® RS230D nanogels in the presence of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as polycondensation reagent were designed and characterized for their sustained drug delivery ability. Enoxaparin (anti-Xa 1000 UI/mL) was used as a model drug at different concentrations (300, 500, and 1000 UI/mL). The resulting nanogels were prepared using sol-gel technique and analyzed using several analytical tools such as: thermal analysis (DSC and TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmitting electron microscopes (SEM and TEM). In addition to particle size, zeta potential and in vitro release profiles were also investigated. A burst effect was observed, afterwards, the release rate became steady. The immobilization of enoxaparin into the gel network led to the formation of stable nanogels with ionic functional groups, which enable the efficient loading and sustainable release. The preliminary results showed that enoxaparin-immobilized PCL-based nanogels in this study can be utilized in the design of a sustained delivery system.