Preparation and Pharmaco-Mechanical Characterization of Ketoprofen- Polyvinyl Alcohol Cryogel for Medical Applications

Polyvinyl alcohol is a biocompatible polymer used very commonly both in pharmaceutical and medical fields. Being a water-soluble polymer, it is suitable for the manufacture of hydrogels as well as cryogels used for various medical applications. The present work describes the preparation, structural and physico-mechanical characterization of polyvinyl alcohol cryogels loaded with ketoprofen. By cryogenic technique the polymeric solutions are transformed under certain conditions into porous, elastic and very compressible structures. They are able to absorb a large amount of liquids that they give off by gentle compression. The prepared cryogels were evaluated for different physical, chemical and structural properties, as following: internal morphology, equilibrium swelling ratio and mechanical testing. The cryogel structures show good elasticity and optimal swelling at different temperatures. Due to these properties the studied cryogels are suitable for use in various medical applications involving liquid absorption, mechanical resistance and anti-inflammatory effect.