Oxaliplatin-loaded crosslinked polymeric network of chondroitin sulfate-co-poly(methacrylic acid) for colorectal cancer: Its toxicological evaluation

The purpose of this study was to develop and characterize chemically crosslinked chondroitin sulfate-co-poly(methacrylic acid) (CSMA) hydrogels for colon targeting of oxaliplatin (OXP) to treat colorectal cancer. CSMA hydrogels were synthesized by free-radical polymerization. Chondroitin sulfate was chemically crosslinked with methacrylic acid in an aqueous medium. Ammonium peroxodisulfate and N, N-methylene bisacrylamide were used as the initiator and crosslinker, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy studies were performed to characterize the fabricated polymeric system. The pH-sensitive characteristics of the hydrogels were evaluated by swelling dynamics and equilibrium swelling ratio measurements at pH 1.2 and 7.4. A toxicity study of the developed formulations was also conducted on rabbits to determine the toxicity of the drug-carrier system to the biological system. The characterization studies confirmed the formation of a new polymeric network. A high OXP loading and higher drug release was observed at pH 7.4. The toxicity study confirmed that the developed formulations were nontoxic to the biological system. (C) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.