Development and In Vitro Characterization of Azadirachta Indica Gum Grafted Polyacrylamide Based pH-Sensitive Hydrogels to Improve the Bioavailability of Lansoprazole.

Abstract

The present study intended to develop a pH-responsive hydrogel based on Neem gum (Ng) to improve Lansoprazole (LSP) oral bioavailability. Azadirachta Indica seed extract was used to obtain Ng. pH-responsive hydrogel formulations (F1-F9) were prepared using different Ng ratios, Acrylamide (AAm), and methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA). The formulated hydrogels were characterized through FTIR, thermal analysis, swelling ratio, SEM, sol-gel ratios, In-Vitro drug release, and cytotoxicity analysis. Azadirachta Indica was extracted to produce a powder containing 21.5 % Ng. Prepared hydrogels showed maximum swelling at pH 7.4, whereas the swelling at an acidic pH was insignificant. LSP-loaded hydrogel demonstrated a regulated release of LSP for up to 24 h and indicated a Super Case II transport release mechanism. During the cytotoxic evaluation, the delivery system showed minimal cytotoxicity towards normal cells, while percent cytotoxicity was carried out for a longer duration (up to 96 h). The present study revealed Azadirachta indica gum-based pH-responsive hydrogel as a promising technique for precisely delivering LSP.