Thesis (M.Sc. in Pharm.)--Chulalongkorn University, 2014

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of sterilization methods on physicochemical properties of hydrogel dressing prepared from Durian fruit-hulls polysaccharide gel (DG) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with and without granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) loaded in wet and dried-form hydrogels. DG/PVA wet-form hydrogels were prepared by freeze-thaw technique and the dried-form hydrogels were prepared by freeze drying of the wet-form hydrogel. Hydrogel dressings were packed in linear low density polyethylene laminated nylon (LLDPE/Nylon) packaging using three sterilization methods: gamma irradiation 15 and 25 kGy, ethylene oxide gas and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma. Gamma irradiation could be processed in both wet and dried-form hydrogels. Ethylene oxide gas and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma processed only for the dried-form. The hydrogels were characterized for water content, gel fraction, water absorption capacity, mechanical properties, differential scanning calorimetry, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and sterility test. The findings showed that the wet-form DG/PVA and G-CSF loaded hydrogels had light brown colour, transparency and elasticity while the dried-forms had opaque and stiffness. Water content of the wet and dried-form hydrogels were about 90 percent and less than 10 percent, respectively. Water absorption capacity, Young’s modulus and tensile strength of the dried-form hydrogels were higher than the wet-form. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the wet-form hydrogels had network structure with large pores, whereas the dried-form had more porosities. Sterility test of all sterilized hydrogels are acceptable. Gamma irradiation had increased tensile strength of both wet and dried-forms. Higher of radiation dose increased gel fraction resulted in the decrease of water content and water absorption capacity of wet-form hydrogels. Sterilization by gamma radiation, ethylene oxide gas or hydrogen peroxide gas plasma decreased gel fraction resulted in the increase of water absorption capacity of dried-form hydrogels. In addition, gamma irradiation or hydrogen peroxide gas plasma increased properties of Young’s modulus and tensile strength. Preliminary study of G-CSF release from hydrogels implied that all three sterilization methods could decreased G-CSF release especially hydrogen peroxide gas plasma sterilization.