Investigation of physico-chemical characteristics of carboxymethylcellulose colloidal carriers for medical preparations

Abstract

Introduction. Physico-chemical peculiarities of processes of preparation and aging of colloidal carriers (gels) based on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) for medical preparations which are planned to be used as a treatment for burn wounds are considered in the article. Studies were conducted in the Central Scientific Research Laboratory of theKharkivNationalMedicalUniversity in 2019.The objectives of the study. The objective was to study the applicability of CMC solutions and their modified analogues for the gel-based pharmaceutical preparations.Material and methods. Experimental studies were carried out under laboratory conditions using equipment for viscosity and pH measuring.Results. The influence of concentration, temperature, and acidity on viscosity of gels was investigated. The gels were tested on aging during storage. The stability of these solutions and syneresis process were investigated. The influence of added modifiers – glycerol and ascorbic acid on the consistency, acidity, susceptibility to contamination and term of storage of the gels was determined.Conclusions. It is shown that unmodified solutions have the highest viscosity and the greatest stability. Increasing of temperature reduces duration of dissolution of CMC and viscosity of the gels. Modification by ascorbic acid significantly reduces viscosity and pH of gels, while addition of glycerol does not affect the stability but increases susceptibility of these solutions to contamination. Storage of obtained solutions for three months under normal conditions at room temperature leads to syneresis and total loss of initial consistency. The gels modified by ascorbic acid are shown to be the least stable. Graphic dependences of these processes are obtained and functions are calculated on the basis of experimental research with the use of mathematical modeling methods. The obtained models will allow to predict physical and chemical properties of gels in order to define the necessary parameters of preparation at the stage of development.

Keywords

• gels
• syneresis
• thixotropy
• modifiers
• carboxymethylcellulose
• viscosity