Insulin Inclusion into a Tragacanth Hydrogel: An Oral Delivery System for Insulin

Abstract

Nanoparticles or microparticles created by physical complexation between two polyelectrolytes may have a prospective use as an excipient for oral insulin administration. Natural polymers such as tragacanth, alginate, dextran, pullulan, hyaluronic acid, gelatin and chitosan can be potential candidates for this purpose. In this research, insulin particles were prepared by the inclusion of insulin into a tragacanth hydrogel. The effect of the pH and concentration relationship involving polyelectrolytes offering individual particle size and zeta potential was assessed by zetasizer and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Insulin–tragacanth interactions at varying pH (3.7, 4.3, 4.6, or 6), and concentration (0.1%, 0.5%, or 1% w/w) were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and ATR Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) analysis. Individual and smaller particles, approximately 800 nm, were acquired at pH 4.6 with 0.5% of tragacanth. The acid gelation test indicated that insulin could be entrapped in the physical hydrogel of tragacanth. DSC thermograms of insulin–tragacanth showed shifts on the same unloaded tragacanth peaks and suggested polyelectrolyte–protein interactions at a pH close to 4.3–4.6. FTIR spectra of tragacanth–insulin complexes exhibited amide absorption bands featuring in the protein spectra and revealed the creation of a new chemical substance.

Moringa oleifera—Storage Stability, In Vitro-Simulated Digestion and Cytotoxicity Assessment of Microencapsulated Extract

“…Finally, it has also been described that tragacanth structural relaxation can influences compound diffusivity within microcapsules and thus modulate polyphenol release [32]. One of the main factors affecting this relaxation is the environmental pH since both under or above the isoelectric point of tragacanth, this gum may either take or give protons (protonation or ionization of carboxyl groups) and lead to a decreased (lower pH) or increased (higher pH) polyphenol diffusion from the matrix [33,34].…”

Tragacanth Hydrogel Integrated CeO2@rGO Nanocomposite as Reusable Photocatalysts for Organic Dye Degradation

“…The more the hydrophilic groups, higher is the swelling capacity of hydrogel . The presence of a large number of oxygen containing functional groups such as carboxylic acid and hydroxyl in the tragacanth gum makes it hydrophilic . As seen in Figure a, both bare TG and CeO 2 @rGO‐TG (0.63 g) hydrogels revealed appreciable increase in swelling up to 6 h, with bare TG hydrogel showing comparably higher swelling (∼30 %) than CeO 2 @rGO‐TG (∼24 %).…”

“…It consists of two different fractions: water insoluble (bassorin, 60–70 %) and water soluble (tragacanthin, 30–40 %) . Presence of functional groups such as, carboxyl and hydroxyl facilitates the interaction of TG with different cross‐linking agents and monomers to form TG hydrogels . Being naturally abundant, non‐toxic, biocompatible and stable over a wide pH range, it has been applied for the fabrication of hydrogel‐based biomaterials for medical applications .…”

A Review of Gum Hydrocolloid Polyelectrolyte Complexes (PEC) for Biomedical Applications: Their Properties and Drug Delivery Studies

“…Mass ratio G:C = 5:10, 6:12, 7:14 [58] Tragacanth gum (T) Insulin (I) (% w/w) ratio T:I = (0.1, 0.5, 1): 0.02, pH of Tragacanth was adjusted to 3.7, 4.3, 4.6 or 6 [59] Xanthan gum Chitosan % weight ratio X:C = 1.5:1.5 [60] Gellan gum Cationic guar gum Mixing ratios G:CGG = 10:90 until 90:10, pH 3.72, 5.5, and 7.13 [61] Okra gum (O) Chitosan Ratio O:C = 10:90 until 90:10, pH 5.0 [62] Xanthan gum Chitosan (% w/v) ratio X:C = 0.5:0.5 [63] Gellan gum Chitosan Ratio G:C = 10:90 until 65:35, 60 Arabinogalactans gum acacia (GA)…”