In Silico Assessment of Natural Biodegradable Polymers for Dermal Drug Delivery Systems

Biodegradable polymers derived from natural sources are gaining attention as components in dermal drug delivery formulations due to their low toxicity, compatibility with biological systems, and biodegradability. Their physicochemical traits can significantly influence their ability to serve as carriers in topical drug delivery. Hansen’s three-dimensional solubility (HSP) concept can be used to preliminarily assess the compatibility of tested polymers as drug carriers and determine their potential for effective drug delivery [1]. In this study, the HSP approach was employed to analyze the suitability of alginate, pectin, dextran, and hyaluronic acid for drug delivery through the skin. All of these polymers are widely used natural polymers known for their non-toxicity, hydrophilicity, and ability to form stable gels, making them attractive for various pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. A sphere with (ẟd, ẟp, ẟh) coordinates is experimentally defined (ẟd =16.5, ẟp =12, ẟh = 7.7, Ro (the radius of interaction sphere) = 6.3), representing the region with the desired polymer characteristics [2]. Compounds located within the defined HSP sphere (RED < 1) are considered to have appropriate drug delivery profile. The HSP values for the selected polymers were determined using the HSPiP software (https://www.hansen-solubility.com/). Among the materials tested (hyaluronic acid, alginate, pectin, and dextran), hyaluronic acid exhibited the lowest RED value, suggesting that it is the most promising of the four polymers for dermal drug delivery.

References

1. Cvetković, D., Dankulov, M.M., Bogojević, A., Lazović, S., and Obradović, D., Intell. Lab. Syst., 251, no. 105168 (2024).
2. Ezati, N., Roberts, S., Zhang, Q, and H. R. Moghimi, H.R., J. Pharm. Res., 19, 572–578, (2020).