Synthesis and Characterization of Polymer/Silica Composite for Colon-Specific Drug Delivery

The free-radical graft polymerization of hydrophobic glycomonomer onto surface-activated perlite particles was studied experimentally. The grafting procedure consisted of surface activation with 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (TSPA), followed by free-radical graft polymerization of glucose acrylate (GA), using persulfate as an initiator. pH-Sensitive hydrogel synthesis was carried out by carboxymethylation mixing composite with sodium monochloroacetate (SMCA). Insulin was entrapped in these gels and the in vitro release profiles were established separately in both (SGF, pH 1) and (SIF, pH 7.4).