This work was part of a pure research project on the functionalization of three families of hydrocolloids: cellulose derivatives, carrageenates, and alginates. Principal component analysis (PCA), a powerful statistical method, was used to demonstrate the relations existing among these different parameters that describe the consistency of hydrogels and their spreadability. This approach therefore provides a basis for modeling hydrogel consistency. PCA also afforded a classification of hydrogels that demonstrated the remarkable adhesiveness of very stiff gels based on cellulose derivatives and sodium or potassium alginates. The corresponding semi-fluid gels and all the gels based on carrageenates and mixed sodium-calcium alginates, whatever their spreadability, were found to be very poorly adhesive. Generalized to all the many colloids currently marketed, this approach can be used to set up a databank for the formulation of mucoadhesive excipients.
This paper reports a texturometric study of hydrogels based on cellulose derivatives, carraghenates (with or without Na+ or K+), and alginates (associated or not with Ca++). The stiffness, elasticity, and cohesiveness are evaluated and the influence of the nature and the concentration of gelling agent on the adhesiveness, an indicator of bioadhesion, is discussed. The highest adhesiveness values are found among the semi-stiff gels, particularly with those based on either sodium or potassium alginate, or cellulose derivatives. The least satisfactory results are obtained with the formulations associating carraghenates and Na+ or K+.
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