Abstract

A REVIEW ON HYDROGEL AS A DRUG DELIVERY CARRIER

Dabee Prabhu*, Sharma Alok, Mehra Mukesh and Mahajan S. C.

Abstract

A Hydrogel is a system of polymer chains that are hydrophilic, occasionally found as a colloidal gel in which water is the dispersion medium. Hydrogel have become very popular due to their exclusive properties such as high water content, softness, flexibility and biocompatibility. Natural and synthetic hydrophilic polymers can be physically or chemically cross-linked to facilitate produce hydrogels. Their similarity to living tissue opens up many opportunities for applications in biomedical areas. Presently, hydrogels are used for manufacturing contact lenses, hygiene products, tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery system and wound dressings.

Keywords: Hydrogel, cross-linking, drug delivery, polymers.