Abstract
Naturally occurring hydrophilic polysaccharides are advantageously used as drug carriers because they provide a mechanism to improve drug action. Hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) is water-soluble, biocompatible and bears hydroxyl groups for drug conjugation outside the parent polymeric chains. This unique geometry allows the attachment of drug molecules with higher covalent loading. The HPC-Ibuprofen conjugates as macromolecular prodrugs were therefore synthesized employing homogenous and one pot reaction methodologies using p-toluenesulfonyl chloride in N,N-dimethylacetamide solvent at 80 degrees C for 24 h under nitrogen atmosphere. The imidazole was used as a base for neutralization of acidic impurities. Present strategy appeared effective to get high yield (77-81%) and high degree of drug substitution (DS 0.88-1.40) onto the HPC polymer as determined by the acid-base titration and verified by H-1-NMR spectroscopy. The gel permeation chromatography has shown uni-modal absorption which indicates no significant degradation of polymer during reaction. Macromolecular prodrugs with different DS of ibuprofen were synthesized, purified, characterized and found soluble in organic solvents. From thermogravimetric analysis, initial, maximum and final degradation temperatures of the conjugates were calculated and compared for relative thermal stability. Thermal degradation kinetics was also studied and results have indicated that degradation of conjugates follows about first order kinetics as calculated by Kissinger model. The energy of activation was also found moderate 92.38, 99.34 and 87.34 kJ/mol as calculated using Friedman, Broido and Chang models. It was found that these novel prodrugs of ibuprofen were thermally stable therefore these may have potential pharmaceutical applications.