Ketorolac tromethamine is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drug used in the management of severe
pain. The half-life of
Ketorolac tromethamine is within the range of 2.5-4 h. Hence, repeated doses of
Ketorolac tromethamine are needed in a day to maintain the therapeutic level. However, taking several doses of
Ketorolac tromethamine in a day generates certain complications, such as
acute renal failure and gastrointestinal ulceration. Therefore, a polymeric-controlled drug delivery system is needed that could prolong the release of
Ketorolac tromethamine. Therefore, in the current study, pH-responsive
carbopol 934/
sodium polystyrene sulfonate-co-
poly(acrylic acid) (CP/SpScPAA)
hydrogels were developed by the
free radical polymerization technique for the controlled release of
Ketorolac tromethamine. Monomer
acrylic acid was crosslinked with the
polymers carbopol 934 and
sodium polystyrene sulfonate by the cross-linker N',N'-
methylene bisacrylamide. Various studies were conducted to evaluate and assess the various parameters of the fabricated
hydrogels. The compatibility of the constituents used in the preparation of
hydrogels was confirmed by FTIR analysis, whereas the thermal stability of the unreacted
polymers and developed
hydrogels was analyzed by TGA and DSC, respectively. A smooth and porous surface was indicated by SEM. The crystallinity of
carbopol 934,
sodium polystyrene sulfonate, and the prepared
hydrogels was evaluated by PXRD, which revealed a reduction in the crystallinity of reactants for the developed
hydrogels. The pH sensitivity of the polymeric
hydrogel networks was confirmed by dynamic swelling and in vitro release studies with two different pH media i.e., pH 1.2 and 7.4, respectively. Maximum swelling was exhibited at pH 7.4 compared to pH 1.2 and, likewise, a greater percent drug release was perceived at pH 7.4. Conclusively, we can demonstrate that the developed pH-sensitive
hydrogel network could be employed as a suitable carrier for the controlled delivery of
Ketorolac tromethamine.