Preparation and characterization of sodium alginate/polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel containing drug-loaded chitosan nanoparticles as a drug delivery system

In this study, an optimal combination of sodium alginate (SA)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel containing Rosuvastatin-loaded chitosan (CS) nanoparticles was fabricated as the drug delivery system (DDS). First, the drug-loaded nanoparticles were synthesized by the ionic gelation method. Then, several hydrogel films with different ratios of SA:PVA were prepared. Subsequently, different concentrations of drug-loaded CS nanoparticles were added to a hydrogel with an optimal SA:PVA ratio. The results of the tensile test showed that in the SA:PVA ratio of 7:3 and 3 wt % of drug-loaded CS nanoparticles, the hydrogel film was achieved with optimal mechanical properties. The mean size of drug-loaded CS nanoparticles determined by the AFM and DLS methods was in the range of approximately 100–150 nm. The release profile of the Rosuvastatin drug from the fabricated DDS illustrated that all the loaded drug was released within 24 h, and the CS nanoparticles had a significant effect on the release behavior. Also, the cytotoxicity of the fabricated DDS on the human fibroblast cells demonstrated a high cell viability after 72 h of incubation. Therefore, the fabricated SA/PVA hydrogel containing drug-loaded CS nanoparticles depicted a great potential as the delivery system for the controlled release of the Rosuvastatin drug.