• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2005

Depot system for local drug delivery using chitosan hydrogel has been developed to enhance the therapeutic efficacy and to prevent the severe side effect in whole body. Thus, we have prepared an injectable chitosan hydrogel containing liposomes to treat cancers clinically. Anionic liposomes incorporated to improve sustained release efficiency within chitosan hydrogel. The chitosan solution containing liposomes was designed to form a hydrogel complex at body temperature. The released behavior of doxorubicin from liposomes in chitosan hydrogel showed sustained-release caused by diffusion of doxorubicin from temperature responsive liposome into chitosan hydrogel. The chitosan hydorgel containing liposomes enhanced the therapeutic potency for the solid tumor in vivo system. Our results indicate that the liposomes in chitosan hydrogel represent a depot system for local drug delivery.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.512-518
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• 2023

To address inherent weaknesses such as low mechanical strength and limited enzyme loading capacity in conventional chitosan or alginate beads, an additional step involving the exchange of anionic surfactants with hydroxide ions was employed to prepare porous chitosan hydrogel capsules for enzyme immobilization. Consequently, excellent thermal stability and long-term storage stability were confirmed. Furthermore, coating the porous chitosan hydrogel capsules with polydopamine not only improved mechanical stability but also exhibited remarkable enzyme immobilization efficiency (97.6% for M1-D0.5). Additionally, it was demonstrated that the scope of application for chitosan hydrogel beads, prepared using conventional methods, could be further expanded by introducing an additional step of polydopamine coating. The enzyme immobilization matrix developed in this study can be selectively applied to suit specific purposes and is expected to be utilized as a support for the adsorption or covalent binding of various substances.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.502-508
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• 2005

Titrated extract of Centella asiatica (TECA) contains three principal ingredients, asiaticoside (AS), asiatic acid (AA), and madecassic acid (MA). These components are known to be clinically effective on systemic scleroderma, abnormal scar formation, and keloids. However, one problem associated with administration of TECA is its low solubility in aqueous as well as oil medium. In this study, various nonionic surfactants and bile salts as anionic surfactant were tested and screened for solubilizing TECA with a view to developing topical hydrogel type of ointment which is stable physicochemically, and has better pharmacological effects. When TECA was incorporated into various nonionic surfactant systems, labrasol had the most potent capacity for solubilizing TECA. In cases of bile salt systems, Na-deoxycholate (Na-DOC) had foremost solubilizing capacity, even more than labrasol. In differential scanning calorimetric study, the peaks of AA, MA, AS and Na-DOC disappeared at the coprecipitate of $1\%$ TECA and $1\%$ Na-DOC, suggesting the optimum condition of Na-DOC for solubilizing TECA. When the physicochemical stability of hydrogel containing this mixture was assessed, it was stable at room temperature for at least one month. Pharmacologically it significantly decreased the size of wound area at the $9^{th}$ day when applied to the wound area of rat dorsal skin. Taken together, solubility of TECA was dramatically improved by using non ionic and anionic surfactant systems, and Na-DOC was found to be the most effective solubilizer of TECA in formulating a TECA-containing hydrogel typed ointment. Moreover this gel was considered to be applicable to clinical use for wound healing effect.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 1988

The polymer electrolyte complex hydrogels consisting of poly (methacrylic acid) and poly (4-vinylpyrridine) were formed and 5-flurouracil and pilocarpine drugs were loaded on their hydrogels. Cumulative 5-FU released from PEC hydrogel was affected by the degree of loading and release rate of 5-FU was followed by the monolithic type. Cumulative pilocarpine released from PEC hydrogel increased by ionic interaction between cationic pilocarpine and anionic PMA. Release rate showed the zero order after burst effect.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2014

Polymer multilayered hydrogels were prepared on a titanium alloy (Ti) substrate using a layer-by-layer (LBL) process to load a cell growth factor. Two water-soluble polymers were used to fabricate the multilayered hydrogels, a phospholipid polymer with both N, N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) units and 4-vinylphenylboronic acid (VPBA) units [poly(MPC-co-DMAEMA-co-VPBA) (PMDV)], and the polysaccharide alginate (ALG). PMDV interacted with ALG through a selective reaction between the VPBA units in PMDV and the hydroxyl groups in ALG and through electrostatic interactions between the DMAEMA units in PMDA and the anionic carboxyl groups in ALG. First, the Ti substrate was covered with photoreactive poly vinyl alcohol, and then the Ti alloy was alternately immersed in the respective polymer solutions to form the PMDV/ALG multilayered hydrogels. In this multilayered hydrogel, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was introduced in different layers during the LbL process under mild conditions. Release of VEGF from the multilayered hydrogels was dependent on the location; however, release continued for 2 weeks. Endothelial cells adhered to the hydrogel and proliferated, and these corresponded to the VEGF release profile from the hydrogel. We concluded that multilayered hydrogels composed of PMDV and ALG could be loaded with cell growth factors that have high activity and can control cell functions. Therefore, this system provides a cell function controllable substrate based on the controlled release of biologically active proteins.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.299-304
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• 2005

There have been many efforts to use anionic hydrogels as oral protein delivery carriers due to their pH-responsive swelling behavior. The dynamic swelling behavior of poly(methacrylic acid-co-methacryloxyethyl glucoside) [P(MAA-co-MEG)] hydrogels was investigated to determine the mechanism of water transport through these anionic hydrogels. The exponential relation $M_t/M_{\infty}=kt^n$ was used to calculate the exponent, n, describing the Fickian or non-Fickian behavior of swelling polymer networks. The mechanism of water transport through these gels was significantly affected by the pH of the swelling medium. The mechanism of water transport became more relaxation-controlled in the swelling medium of pH 7.0 that was higher than the $pK_a$ of the gels. Experimental results of time-dependent swelling behavior of the gels were analyzed with several mathematical models. Using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, the effect of ionization of the carboxylic acid groups in the polymer networks on the water transport mechanism was investigated.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2018

Despite the great potential for the versatile applications in food industry and medical area, chitosan as a biocompatible cationic polysaccharide has suffered from the limited solubility under physiological condition. Herein, we demonstrated the electrostatic formation of chitosan-based polyplex particles, counterbalanced by polyacrylate as an anionic polyelectrolyte. The resulting polyplex exhibited pH- and composition-dependent changes in their surface charges as measured by zeta potential, which can be employed to provide the interparticle repulsive forces for enhanced colloidal stability in homogeneous solution. Subsequently, amide coupling between the acrylates and glucosamine residues of chitosan inside the polyplex further generated the hydrogel particles, which showed the temperature-sensitive swelling property. This aspect can be attributed to the partial formation of acryl amide residues, which have been generally known to possess the lower critical solution temperature (LCST).

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.189-201
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• 2002

The interaction between hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose (hmHEC), containing approximately 1 wt% side-alkyl chains of $C_{16}$, and an anionic sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) surfactant was investigated. For a semi-dilute solution of 0.5 wt% hmHEC, the previously observed behaviour of a maximum in solution viscosity at intermediate SDS concentrations, followed by a drop at higher SDS concentrations, until above the cmc of surfactant when the solution resembles that of the unsubstituted polymer, was confirmed. Additionally, a two-phase region containing a hydrogel phase and a water-like supernatant was found at low SDS concentrations up to 0.2 wt%, a concentration which is akin to the critical association concentration, cac, of SDS in the presence of hmHEC. Above this concentration, SDS molecules bind strongly to form mixed micellar aggregates with the polymer alkyl side-chains, thus strengthening the network junctions, resulting in the observed increase in viscosity and elastic modulus of the solution. The shear behaviour of this polymer-surfactant complex during steady and step stress experiments was examined In great detail. Between SDS concentrations of 0.2 and 0.25 wt%, the shear viscosity of the hmHEC-polymer complex network undergoes shear-induced thickening, followed by a two-stage shear-induced fracture or break-up of the network. The thickening is thought to be due to structural rearrangement, causing the network of flexible polymers to expand, enabling some polymer hydrophobic groups to be converted from intra- to inter-chain associations. At higher applied stress, a partial local break-up of the network occurs, while at even higher stress, above the critical or network yield stress, a complete fracture of the network into small microgel-like units, Is believed to occur. This second network rupture is progressive with time of shear and no steady state in viscosity was observed even after 300 s. The structure which was reformed after the cessation of shear is found to be significantly different from the original state.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.453-464
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• 2019

Soft marine soil has high fine-grained soil content and in-situ water content. Thus, it has low shear strength and bearing capacity and is susceptible to a large settlement, which leads to difficulties with coastal infrastructure construction. Therefore, strength improvement and settlement control are essential considerations for construction on soft marine soil deposits. Biopolymers show their potential for improving soil stability, which can reduce the environmental drawbacks of conventional soil treatment. This study used two biopolymers, an anionic xanthan gum biopolymer and a cationic ${\varepsilon}-polylysine$ biopolymer, as representatives to enhance the geotechnical engineering properties of soft marine soil. Effects of the biopolymers on marine soil were analyzed through a series of experiments considering the Atterberg limits, shear strength at a constant water content, compressive strength in a dry condition, laboratory consolidation, and sedimentation. Xanthan gum treatment affects the Atterberg limits, shear strength, and compressive strength by interparticle bonding and the formation of a viscous hydrogel. However, xanthan gum delays the consolidation procedure and increases the compressibility of soils. While ${\varepsilon}-polylysine$ treatment does not affect compressive strength, it shows potential for coagulating soil particles in a suspension state. ${\varepsilon}-Polylysine$ forms bridges between soil particles, showing an increase in settling velocity and final sediment density. The results of this study show various potential applications of biopolymers. Xanthan gum biopolymer was identified as a soil strengthening material, while ${\varepsilon}-polylysine$ biopolymer can be applied as a soil-coagulating material.