β-Cyclodextrin/chitosan-based (polyvinyl alcohol-co-acrylic acid) interpenetrating hydrogels for oral drug delivery

Gallic acid is an important phenolic compound with extensive applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its health-promoting properties. However, due to its poor solubility and bioavailability, it is rapidly excreted from the body. Therefore, β-cyclodextrin/chitosan-based (polyvinyl alcohol-co-acrylic acid) interpenetrating controlled release hydrogels were developed to improve its dissolution and bioavailability. pH, polymer ratios, dynamic and equilibrium swelling, porosity, sol-gel, FTIR, XRD, TGA, DSC, SEM and structural parameters like an average molecular weight between crosslinks, solvent interaction parameters, and diffusion coefficient affecting release behavior were investigated. The highest swelling and release were observed at pH 7.4. Furthermore, hydrogels showed good antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Hydrogels improved the bioavailability of gallic acid in a pharmacokinetics study in rabbits. In vitro biodegradation showed that hydrogels were more stable in blank PBS than lysozyme and collagenase. Hydrogels were safe for rabbits (3500 mg/kg) without causing hematological or histopathological changes. The hydrogels showed good biocompatibility, and no adverse reactions were observed. Moreover, the developed hydrogels can be used to improve the bioavailability of various other drugs. [Display omitted] •Physicochemical properties of β-cyclodextrin/chitosan-based (PVA-co-AA) hydrogels were evaluated.•Hydrogels exhibited pH-responsive swelling and drug-release.•Hydrogels exhibited good antioxidant and antibacterial effects.•Analyses in rabbits confirm their controlled release nature and extended bioavailability.•At doses up to 3500 mg/kg, hydrogels did not cause any toxicity in rabbits.