Magnetic/pH-sensitive nanocomposite hydrogel based carboxymethyl cellulose-g- polyacrylamide/montmorillonite for colon targeted drug delivery

Objective(s): The main aim of current research was to develop a novel magnetically responsive hydrogel by radical polymerization of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on acryl amide (Am) using N,N -methylene bis acrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinking agent, potassium persulfate (KPS) as a free radical initiator, and magnetic montmorillonite ( mMT) nanoclay as nano-filler. Methods: The new product (CMC-g-Am/mMT) was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, TEM, SEM, and VSM techniques. Drug loading and release efficiency were evaluated by Diclofenac Sodium (DS) as a model drug. Results: SEM results demonstrated that magnetic nanoclay (mMT) can cause a rough morphology. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated the formation of MNPs into the montmorillonite clay structure with the final average particle size of around 100 nm. Furthermore, according to the in vitro drug release profiles, the maximum cumulative release was around 79% at pH=7.4 under applied magnetic field. Conclusions: The results indicate that the prepared CMC-g-Am/mMT platform can be used for delivery of drugs to the colon by applying an external magnetic field.