Kinetic Release of Acetaminophen from Cross-Linked Carrageenan Hydrogel for Wound Dressing Application

This study investigates the compressive strength, water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs), and swelling rate of the Carrageenan (CR) hydrogel. Carrageenan hydrogel with addition of 40 mM CaCl2 (CR4) shows the optimum compressive strength (7.06 kPa), ideal WVTRs (1918 ± 17 g m-2 h-1) and better swelling behavior compared to low concentration of CaCl2. The CR4 hydrogel was further incorporated with acetaminophen (APAP) and the properties of the hydrogel were examined. The compressive strength results show the addition of APAP into CR4 hydrogel improved the stress of CR-APAP3 (CR hydrogel with 60% (w/w) of APAP) hydrogel to 10.07 kPa than CR-APAP1 (CR hydrogel with 20% (w/w) of APAP) at 7.41 kPa. The WVTR values increased as the concentration of APAP loaded into CR hydrogel increased. The swelling rates of CR-APAP were low at all concentrations of APAP-loaded which was at 14.5%. Kinetic release of CR-APAP hydrogel was improved in which, the CR-APAP1 released almost 75% within the first 8-min, while CR-APAP2 was 40% released within the first 12-min, and CR-APAP3 released 30% within the first 13-min. In other word, it shows that higher concentration of APAP in CR prolonged the release of drug. Overall, the CR-APAP hydrogel is suitable to be applied as degradable wound dressing materials and hence, further improve patient compliance due to its fast-release behavior.