Mechanical and swelling properties of poly (vinyl alcohol) and hyaluronic acid gels used in biomaterial systems - A comparative study

There is an increasing demand for designing controlled drug delivery systems with materials which are more biocompatible, economical and materials which can be processed easily. Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) are promising polymers for applications in drug delivery. PVA forms gel based on the acetal bridges when crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GA). On the other hand, HA a natural polymer, forms gel with divinyl sulfone (DVS) as a crosslinker. PVA and HA blends upon crosslinking PVA with GA or HA with DVS, in the presence of the other polymer, form gels that are more adaptable to the drug delivery systems. In this work, the mechanical properties and swelling behaviour of PVAHA gels were characterized. The effect of composition on viscoelastic moduli and degree of swelling was determined. The storage modulus (G") of various gels made of PVA, HA and PVAHA blends were measured using rheology and compared with the values available in the literature. Swelling properties were measured and compared among various PVA and HA gels. Collagen is added to PVA solution and the rheological properties were measured in the gel state. Based on the values of storage modulus, gels of various compositions of PVA, HA and collagen might be selected as potential biomaterials for drug delivery system depending on careful understanding the type of application. � 2014, DESIDOC.