Studies on the correlation between microstructure and biodegradability of polysaccharide/ethylcellulose films for colon-specific drug delivery.

As a PhD researcher, my current research programme is “Studies on the correlation between microstructure and biodegradability of polysaccharide/ethylcellulose films for colon-specific drug delivery”. Colon-specific drug delivery via oral administration is necessary for topical treatment. Polysaccharides such as chitosan, sodium alginate, hyaluronic acid, pectin, inulin have been widely used as the promising materials which can be degraded by the colonic flora. Combining the water-insoluble polymer (ethylcellulose) with polysaccharides may successfully overcome the premature release of drug in the upper gastrointestinal tract. In vitro and in vivo drug delivery efficiency have been evaluated in many previous reports. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no mechanistic study to elaborate the relation between the polymer blend microstructure and its biodegradability by colonic bacteria. The aim of the current research is to investigate the relation between the microstructure of these polysaccharide based films and their potential to be degraded by colonic bacterial enzymes. Polymer blend films will be prepared by solution casting and spray casting. The degradation will be studied by measuring the diffusion of the model drug caffeine through the films before and after incubation of the films in solutions of enzymes capable of degrading the pristine polysaccharides. The microstructure of the polymer blend films will be investigated in first instance with differential scanning calorimetry.