Mucoadhesive Properties of Gelatin Based pH-responsive Hydrogel Microparticles as Oral Delivery of Protein Drugs

초록

To overcome the challenges of gastrointestinal degradation and low intestinal absorption associated with the oral administration of protein drugs, pH-responsive and mucoadhesive P(AA-co-GelMA) hydrogel particles were synthesized. The methacrylate groups were introduced into native gelatin to make methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) capable of copolymerizing with acrylic acid (AA) via suspension polymerization to form spherical particles. The synthesized hydrogel particles exhibited distinct pH-sensitivity, maintaining a collapsed state in a simulated gastric environment (pH 2.0) and rapidly swelling in a simulated intestinal environment (pH 7.0). Mucoadhesion evaluations using a slope flow system demonstrated that the mucoadhesion of the hydrogel increased with higher gelatin content within the P(AA-co-GelMA) hydrogels. Additionally, the hydrogels retained their mucoadhesion even under harsh shear stress conditions far more severe than those of the actual intestinal tract, indicating that they are highly expected to exhibit superior retention performance in actual in vivo environments. In conclusion, the P(AA-co-GelMA) hydrogel particles developed in this study can serve as a promising platform technology for oral protein drug delivery, maximizing bioavailability by selective drug release and prolonging the residence time in the small intestine.

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