Hidrogel adalah rangkaian tiga dimensi polimer hidrofilik yang boleh menyerap dan mengekalkan kandungan air yang tinggi dalam matriknya. Hidrogel genipin silang gelatin telah menarik perhatian ketara untuk kegunaannya dalam penyampaian ubat dengan ciri-ciri hidrogel seperti menyerap rembesan, mengekalkan kandungan air yang tinggi dan bertindak sebagai penghalang terhadap jangkitan mikrob. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji genipin silang hidrogel gelatin yang diperbuat daripada pencampuran rumusan gelatin dan genipin yang boleh memuatkan kurkumin untuk meningkatkan ciri-ciri biofarmaseutikal. Hidrogel silang genipin yang dimuatkan dengan kurkumin telah disediakan dengan pelbagai kepekatan genipin pada 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 dan 0.7%(w/w). Penstrukturan kimia dan morfologi telah dianalisis dengan menggunakan FTIR dan SEM. Imej SEM menunjukkan bahawa penambahan kepekatan genipin menurunkan saiz liang gelatin hidrogel manakala spektrum FTIR menunjukkan penambahan penyilangan meningkat dengan kepekatan genipin. Kepekatan agen silang sangat mempengaruhi tingkah laku pemgembangan mereka dengan nisbah pengembangan yang menurun apabila kepekatan genipin bertambah. Kecekapan pemerangkapan daripada hydrogel yang dimuatkan dengan kurkumin berbeza antara 27% hingga 58% dan 0.1%(w/w) hidrogel genipin merekodkan kecekapan pemerangkapan tertinggi. Hasil dapatan berkenaan pelepasan kurkumin menggunakan hidrogel silang genipin menunjukkan bahawa 90-95% daripada curcumin dilepaskan dari hidrogel selepas 72 jam pengeraman dalam salin pengimbal fosfat. Penambahan kepekatan genipin akan menyebabkan pengkapsulan kurkumin yang lebih rendah serta kurkumin juga akan kurang dibebaskan daripada liang hidrogel gelatin. Keputusan ini mencadangkan bahawa kepekatan genipin yang optimum untuk tujuan penyampaian ubat adalah dalam lingkungan 0.1 hingga 0.3% (w/w).
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Hydrogels are three-dimensional networks of hydrophilic polymers which can absorb and retain high water content within their matrix. Crosslinked gelatin hydrogels have attracted noticeable interest for their use in drug delivery due to their ability to absorb exudates at the same time retaining high moisture content, and act as a barrier against microbial infections. The aim of the present study was to develop genipin crosslinked gelatin hydrogel prepared from mixing the gelatin solution and genipin solution that could encapsulate curcumin for increasing its biopharmaceutical properties. The curcumin-loaded genipin crosslinked hydrogels were prepared with varying genipin concentration at 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7% (w/w). The chemical structure and morphology were evaluated by FTIR and SEM. The SEM images revealed that increasing genipin concentration decreased the pose size of gelatin hydrogel where FTIR spectrum depicts that the crosslinking increase with increasing genipin concentration. Swelling behaviour of prepared hydrogels in phosphate buffered saline with different genipin concentration at 37°C was compared. It was proved that the crosslinking agent concentration significantly influenced their swelling behavior with swelling ratio decreased with increasing genipin concentration. The entrapment efficiency of the curcumin-loaded hydrogels varied between 27% to 58% and 0.1% (w/w) genipin hydrogel gave the highest entrapment efficiency. Drug release studies using genipin crosslinked hydrogels showed that 90–95% of curcumin is released from genipin gelatin hydrogels after 72 h of incubation in the phosphate buffer saline. The increment in genipin concentration will lead to lower curcumin encapsulation as well as less curcumin released from gelatin hydrogels. These results suggested that the optimum genipin concentration for drug delivery purpose is in the range of 0.1 to 0.3% (w/w).