Abstract
Salicylic acid (SA)-based physically crosslinked pH-sensitive hydrogels were developed for oral insulin delivery using various ratios of salicylate-based poly(anhydride-ester) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Pore size, swelling behavior, insulin loading, insulin and SA release rates of the gels were varied by changing PAA concentration. About 50% of insulin was incorporated within all of the hydrogels, with about 4–8% of insulin released in acidic conditions (pH 1.2) over 2 h. In pH simulating the intestine (pH 6.8), 90% of the insulin and 70% of SA were released within 24 h from the hydrogel system. These results suggest that hydrogels enable pH-dependent protein delivery and can be used for oral insulin and SA delivery to benefit diabetes patients.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.