Encapsulation efficiency and controlled release characteristics of crosslinked polyacrylamide particles

Polyacrylamide (pAAm) particles crosslinked with N,N-methylenebis-acrylamide/ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (NNMBA/EGDMA) have been prepared in water–methanol medium by the dispersion polymerization using poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), PVP as a steric stabilizer. 5-fluorouracil an anticancer drug, has been loaded in situ into the crosslinked pAAm particles. Plain as well as drug loaded microparticles have been characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction studies (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). DSC and XRD studies have indicated a molecular level dispersion of the drug in pAAm particles during in situ loading and SEM pictures have shown the formation of spherical and oval-shaped particles. In vitro release of 5-fluorouracil from the crosslinked pAAm particles has been carried out in 7.4 pH buffer medium. Both encapsulation efficiency and release patterns are found to depend on the nature of the crosslinking agent, amount of crosslinking agent used and the amount of drug loaded. In vitro release studies indicated the controlled release of 5-fluorouracil up to 12 h.