Composite hydrogels for applications in sodium heparin controlled release systems

Hydrogels are important in biomaterials due to their similar physical properties to living tissue, such as high water content and soft and elastic consistency. Poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) forms polymer complexes with acrylic acid through hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. The combination of this hydrogel with hydroxyapatite results in an even more biocompatible biomaterial due to the contributions of its components, making its use more advantageous with additional sites for drug attachment. The aim of this work was to obtain and characterize composite PVP and hydroxyapatite hydrogels with incorporated sodium heparin for application in controlled release systems. For characterizing the obtained hydrogels, FTIR, swelling and SEM techniques were used. Hydrogels with hydroxyapatite were used as vehicles in the study of sodium heparin release, as a new potential material for stent coating, and as an anticoagulant and antithrombotic agent. There was a controlled release of the drug and this system is suitable for these applications, with more potential for the new composite hydrogel developed. From the data obtained in the release profiles, mathematical treatments were used to determine the release kinetics. The Peppas-Shalin and Ritger-Peppas models were the most adequate in this study.