Hydrogels Based on 2-Hydroxyethylmethacrylate and Chitosan: Preparation, Swelling Behavior, and Drug Delivery

The authors report preparation of chitosan by deacetylation of chitin extracted from shrimp shells. The quality of chitosan depended on the chemical extraction process, the concentration of chemicals used, soaking time, sequence of deproteination, decalcification, and deacetylation. Hydrogels composed of hydroxyethylmethacrylate and chitosan were subsequently prepared and their swelling and ibuprofen delivery kinetics at various chitosan concentrations were studied. The swelling properties of the network varied with the chitosan concentration. Furthermore, the swelling process followed second-order kinetics, while ibuprofen diffusion into the hydrogel showed Fickian behavior.