Sodium Alginate Interpolymer Complexes as a Platform for pH-Tunable Drug Carriers

The method of obtaining hydrogels from sodium alginate interpolymer complexes with the copolymer of methyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride is developed. It is shown that the interpolymer network is formed via hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl groups of alginate and the carboxyl groups of the copolymer . The structure of the network, namely, the type of bonds and their density, is primarily controlled by the treatment temperature of the polymer mixture. Using lidocaine as a model drug, it is demonstrated that these complexes can be used as a platform for рН-tunable drug delivery systems.