Anomalous release of indoles from amorphous solid dispersion formed with a polymeric network

Amorphous solid dispersion (ASDs) is a technique used in the pharmaceutical industry to enhance the solubility, dissolution rate, and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. Polymeric materials, and recently polymer gels form and stabilize the amorphous structure by inhibiting the aggregation/precipitation of such drugs. In this work indole, 5-aminoindole and 5-hydroxyindole loaded poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) hydrogels were studied. Swelling and uptake measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), liquid and solid phase nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (NMR) and high sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were applied to understand the drug – matrix interactions affecting the release. We confirmed that the hydrogel fostered the fine uniform distribution of the hydrophobic probe molecules and successfully prevented any crystalline or amorphous phase formation during water removal, leading to a glassy solution, a special form of ASD. Despite the limited difference between their chemical composition the probe molecules showed dissimilar drug release behavior from dried loaded gel disks. While Nuclear Overhauser Enhancement Spectroscopy (NOESY) measurements revealed a “bidental” interaction between 5-hydroxiindole and the polymer, no localized interactions were found for indole. The release of the bidentally linked derivatives is rapid and complete: they act as molecular spacers, promoting the rehydration of the chains. In contrast, part of the indole remains irreversibly trapped being confined between the chains without any orientation, shedding light on the role of the steric consequences of the interaction. Our findings also indicate that such drug delivery compositions should be treated as ternary systems (carrier + drug + liquid) already in the design stages of drug release systems. © The Author(s) 2024.