Release Behavior of 5-Fluorouracil Drug Molecules from P(γPGA-co-NIPAAm) Hydrogels

A novel hydrogel was prepared via free radical copolymerization of γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA) and N isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAm). The cross section morphology of the hydrogel was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The hydrophilic hydrophobic properties at different temperature (25、37 ℃) and the swelling change in various pH ranging from 2.0 to 10.0 were studied. The hydrogels were used as the controlled release carrier for the anticancer drug 5- Fluorouracil (5-FU), of which the release behavior was studied by the UV spectrophotometric method. Results showed that the drug release rate was lower at neutral pH (7.4) than at acidic and alkaline pH. At 25 ℃, drug release rate was positively correlated with the content of γ-PGA, while at 37 ℃ the result was different. With the noticeable pH-temperature sensitivity and slower drug release rate in weakly alkaline condition, the hydrogels were proposed to be a promising material in the fields of targeted drug delivery.