In Vitro Evaluation of Smart and pH-Sensitive Chondroitin Sulfate/Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate Hydrogels for Controlled Drug Delivery

Ibuprofen is an antipyretic and analgesic drug used for the management of different inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Due to a short half-life and rapid elimination, multiple doses of ibuprofen are required in a day to maintain pharmacological action for a long duration of time. Due to multiple intakes of ibuprofen, certain severe adverse effects, such as gastric irritation, bleeding, ulcers, and abdominal pain are produced. Therefore, a system is needed which not only prolongs the release of ibuprofen but also overcomes the drug’s adverse effects. Hence, the authors have synthesized chondroitin sulfate/sodium polystyrene sulfonate–co-poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels by the free radical polymerization technique for the controlled release of ibuprofen. Sol-gel, porosity, swelling, and drug release studies were performed on the fabricated hydrogel. The pH-responsive behavior of the fabricated hydrogel was determined by both swelling and drug release studies in three different pH values, i.e., pH 1.2, 4.6, and 7.4. Maximum swelling and drug release were observed at pH 7.4, as compared to pH 4.6 and 1.2. Similarly, the structural arrangement and crosslinking of the hydrogel contents were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluated the hard and irregular surface with a few macrospores of the developed hydrogel, which may be correlated with the strong crosslinking of polymers with monomer content. Similarly, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated the high thermal stability of the formulated hydrogel, as compared to pure polymers. A decrease in the crystallinity of chondroitin sulfate and sodium polystyrene sulfonate after crosslinking was revealed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Thus, considering the results, we can demonstrate that a developed polymeric network of hydrogel could be used as a safe, stable, and efficient carrier for the controlled release of ibuprofen.