Gel based on microcrystalline cellulose and azidin

Abstract

The structure of a gel based on microcrvstalline celhdose (MCC) and the antiprotozoic preparation azidin is studied. Intense ultrasonic irradiation produces a physicochemical reaction in the MCC:azidin system that lengthens the effective I(fetime of the drug.Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is promising as a polymeric carrier lbr drugs [1, 2]. This unique material has specific properties owing to its high degree of crystallinity, irregular particle shape, hydrophilic nature, etc.The goal of the present work is to investigate the possibility of reacting the antiprotozic drug azidin [4,4'-(diazoamino)dibenzamidine diaceturate] with the MCC polymeric carrier to produce a gel and to study the MCC properties.We used x-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, and dialysis to study the hydrogel obtained by mechanical mixing of MCC, azidin, and water in a given proportion with subsequent irradiation by ultrasound.The x-ray studies of the starting materials showed that both components are distinctly crystalline materials. Four ec~uatorial reflections are clearly observed in the diffraction pattern of MCC (Fig. 1. curve 1). These are characteristic of the cellulose-1 structural modification with 20 = 14.7, 16.5, 22.4, and 34.5 ~ and correspond to reflections from the crystallographic planes (101), (101), (002), and (040). The diffraction pattern of azidin (Fig. 2) contains several reflections (atx}ut 15) of moderate strength that are rather sharp and narrow. This is characteristic of a low-molecular-weight substance. The strongest reflections occur at 20 = 14.0, 26.6. 20.1, 15.7, and 28.4 '~.