Hydrogel matrices containing single and mixed natural cyclodextrins. Mechanisms of drug release

Hydrogel networks of α, β or γ-cyclodextrin (CD) and mixtures of α/β or β/γ CDs have been obtained using epichlorohydrin (EP) as a crosslinking agent. Discs of the resulting polymers were evaluated as drug carriers for controlled release using the antiinflammatory naproxen (NAP) as a model drug. βCD polymer (βCDP) has shown the highest amount of drug loaded and the lowest one corresponds to the polymer containing αCD, in agreement with the affinities of NAP for the corresponding cyclodextrins.