SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF FISH SCALE COLLAGEN/ALLOPURINOL BIOCOMPOSITE

In this work, collagen extracted from fresh-water fish scales has been used as a matrix in the drug delivery polymeric system. Allopurinol has been applied to reduce the concentration of uric acid in blood and used as a model drug in collagen drug delivery system. The functional groups in collagen/allopurinol biocomposite as well as the morphology of this material were assessed by infrared (IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Allopurinol content released from collagen/allopurinol biocomposite in simulated body fluids was determined based on the optical absorbance of solutions containing drug by ultraviolet – visible (UV-Vis) spectra and allopurinol calibration equations. The analysis results of IR spectra of biocomposite samples indicated that the collagen/allopurinol biocomposite contains N–H, C–H, O–H linkages in collagen and C=O, C=N, N-H linkages in allopurinol. The SEM images showed that the morphology of collagen/allopurinol biocomposites differs to that of allopurinol. The allopurinol could release from the biocomposites in simulated body fluids (pH 2 and pH 7.4) according to two stages: fast release stage for 1 first hour and slow release stage in following hours. At the same time of testing, the content of allopurinol released from collagen/allopurinol biocomposite is higher than that from allopurinol free (allopurinol unloaded by collagen).