Naturally sourced products introduced to human nutrition and rediscovered for therapy include polysaccharides from potatoes. The starch may obtain unique properties via acetylation with acetic anhydride at 13 cm³/100 g of starch as the basic dose of reagent used in industrial conditions. The hydrogel formulation was applied as a carrier for escin included in the dry extract of Aesculus hippocastanum. Six hydrogels were evaluated (methylcellulose, polyacrylic acid-Carbopol 980 NF and polyacrylate crosspolymer 11—Aristoflex Velvet) with various concentrations of the modified starch. The kinetic studies of in vitro β-escin release were carried out in purified water at 37 ± 0.5 °C using a paddle apparatus at 50 rpm and a time period of 7 h. The criterion for the most suitable model was based on a high correlation coefficient of evaluated release profiles. The addition of modified annealed acetylated potato starch resulted in prolongation of β-escin release.

The application of cryptotanshinone (CT), a diterpenoid obtained from the root of Salviae miltiorrhiza, is significantly hindered due to its poor aqueous solubility. The aim of the present research was to develop an optimal solvent for analytical and preparative procedures of prospective dermal hydrogel formulations with CT. The influence of pH, temperature, and cosolvent presence on the solubility of CT was examined. Various components were applied to increase CT solubility, i.e., ethanol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol, 2,2′,2″-nitrilotriethanol, and triisopropanoloamine. The concentration of CT was analyzed by spectral and chromatographic methods, including UV–vis and HPLC methods. The increased solubility of CT was demonstrated in alkaline solvents with ethanol as a cosolvent. CT solutions doped with alcoholamines are more stable compared to CT solutions doped with NaOH.

This study aimed to determine the effect of “annealing” acetylated potato starch with a homogenous granule size and various degrees of substitution on the thermal pasting characteristics (DSC), resistance to amylases, rheology of the prepared pastes, swelling power and dynamics of drug release. A fraction of large granules was separated from native starch with the sedimentation method and acetylated with various doses of acetic anhydride (6.5, 13.0 or 26.0 26 cm³/100 g starch). The starch acetates were then annealed at slightly lower temperatures than their pasting temperatures. The annealing process caused an almost twofold increase in the resistance to amylolysis and a threefold increase in the swelling power of the modified starch preparations. The heat of phase transition decreased almost two times and the range of starch pasting temperatures over two times, but the pasting temperature itself increased by ca. 10 °C. The 40 g/100 g addition of the modified starch preparation decreased the rate of drug release from a hydrogel by ca. one-fourth compared to the control sample.

Nanospheres and microspheres are known as a multipurpose compounds and are used in various branches of science. Recent controlled delivery systems for drugs are also based on poly-micro and nanospheres. In our study we describe an investigation of the influence of thermosensitive polymer N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) on the release of the drug naproxen sodium (NS) with a hydrogel hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) base. The hydrodynamic diameter (D_H) of the obtained polymer was measured by using dynamic light scattering (DLS) at a wavelength of 678 nm. Hydrogel formulations of NS were prepared in a specific way ex tempore. NS was sprinkled on the surface of a distilled water, then polymer soluted in water was added. Afterward, HPMC was affixed to the solution. Prepared samples were stored at room temperature for 24 h. Release tests showed that modification of thevcross-linker type influenced the properties of synthesized polymeric particles. The NIPA derivatives obtained via surfactant free precipitation polymerization (SFPP) may be formulated as hydrogel preparations using HPMC. The obtained formulations presented varied half-release times, depending on the type of applied NIPA derivatives in hydrogel formulations. At 18 °C, the release rates were lower comparing to the reference HPMC hydrogel, whereas at 42 °C, the release rates were significantly higher. The synthesized thermosensitive polymers enabled temperature-triggered release of NS.

The problem of drug delivery often concentrates on the prolongation of drug activity. Application of natural polymers which are biodegradable and inexpensive is in the interest of many researchers. The aim of this study was the application of newly synthesized starch derivatives as potential functional excipients proposed for hydrophilic gel with lidocaine hydrochloride (LH) to prolong drug release from the hydrogel matrix. In our study, we investigated the effect of starch modified with citric acid on the release kinetics of LH using UV-VIS and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), as well as viscosity and pH measurements. We demonstrated the effectiveness of citric-acid-modified starch in prolonging the release of LH from methylcellulose gel.

Microencapsulation is a technology for encapsulating particles in a coating designed to isolate the core substance from external conditions, including oxidation, UV radiation or humidity. Microcapsules reach dimensions of up to 5,000 μm. In the pharmaceutical industry, they are used for the controlled release of active substances, masking their taste, odor or gastrointestinal irritation, and can also reduce the toxicity of some medicinal substances. In the food production industry, the encapsulation process applies to sweeteners, enzymes, microorganisms, vitamins and minerals, flavors, or colors. The production of microcapsules is based on the use of their physical properties such as amphiphilicity, partition coefficient and melting point, while their formation of microcapsules is mainly carried out using physical methods such as coacervation, spray drying, cooling and coating, agglomeration, suspension crosslinking, solvent evaporation, and extrusion, as well as chemical methods: interfacial polymerization and in situ polymerization. Although traditional methods are still used to produce microcapsules, contemporary methods employing the latest technology are also emerging. One such method is encapsulation in microcylinders produced with a 3D printer.