Research on Drug Loading Performance of Hydroxiapatite-Gelatin Composites by Co-precipication Method

Hydroxyapatite/polymer composites are promising materials for drug delivery applications. Studies focusing on the development of such composites are available in recent years, as using these materials as a carrier allows us to overcome the side effects of toxic drugs used especially in cancer treatments and increase treatment efficiency. In this study, hydroxyapatite-gelatin (HAp-GEL) composites are produced in the presence of simulated body fluid (SBF) as a carrier for 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Composites are produced by wet precipitation method at pH 7.4 and 37 °C and crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GA). In order to observe the effect of GA amount on drug loading efficiency, composites cross-linked with different amounts of GA are released in deinozed water, HCl and phosphate bufffer solution (PBS). Composites are analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analyses (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and particle size distribution to observe morphology and structure. It is concluded that drug loaded HAp-GEL composites have a potential to be used in drug delivery applications.