ABSTRACT The fabrication of a modular Gelrite‐based covalently crosslinked hydrogelator (Gelrite‐MA) by photo‐initiated click chemistry to facilitate cefixime trihydrate administration is reported for the first time. Modular Gelrite is prepared via base (DIPEA)‐catalyzed esterification reaction between Gelrite and maleic anhydride. Under the UV light, the modular Gelrite containing carbon‐carbon double bonds undergoes a photocrosslinking reaction with 2, 2ʹ‐(Ethylenedioxy)diethanethiol and forms the hydrogelator. Comprehensive characterization of the modular Gelrite‐based compound is done using various methods. The significant differences in the hydrogelator's swelling ratio at pH values of 1.2 and 6.8 demonstrate its pH‐responsive behavior. The rheological analysis shows that the yield stress value of Gelrite‐MA hydrogel is higher at pH 1.2 (2542 Pa) than at pH 6.8 (258 Pa). The Gelrite‐MA hydrogel is cytocompatible, showing 128.8 ± 5.9% cell viability against L929 cell lines after 3 days. The Gelrite‐MA hydrogel formulation demonstrates sustained release matrix characteristics, releasing 79.4±3.1% of total cefixime over 30 h. The 5 mg hydrogel‐cefixime formulation effectively suppresses the inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , with ZOI of 55.3 ± 1.5 mm and 42.0 ± 2.0 mm, respectively. The lower minimum inhibitory concentration value suggests that the hydrogel formulation is more potent against E. coli (MIC = 39 µg/mL) bacteria than S. aureus (MIC = 5 mg/mL). Therefore, the prepared cytocompatible and pH‐responsive Gelrite‐MA hydrogel has the potential to serve as a sustained drug delivery matrix for administering cefixime trihydrate orally.
Keerthana et al. (Sat,) studied this question.