GEL-FORMING EXCIPIENTS TO SLOW ALCOHOL ABSORPTION INTO SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Objective. To preliminary study the alcohol absorption behavior of cross-linked polyacrylamide (CLP) in alcoholic and alcoholic-acidic media representing the gastric environment after ingestion. Background. Polymers which can swell in alcohol and quickly gel alcoholic drinks after ingestion are hypothesized to slow ethanol absorption into the bloodstream. With its 57 favorable structure for alcohol interactions, and rapid and high swelling in aqueous media, CLP was screened to be well suited for this purpose. Methods. CLP was commercially obtained (Hydrosource® CLP) and screened to a particle size retained on a 250 μm sieve. For swelling capacity measurement, 30 mg of CLP was allowed to soak in 10 mL of swelling media for 2 minutes. Using tea-bag and gravimetric methods, the volume and weight swelling ratios were then calculated in hydroalcoholic (5% to 80% v/v), acidic (pH 1 to pH 5), and acidic-hydroalcoholic solutions prepared by diluting acidic solutions with ethyl alcohol to 5% v/v. Results. The CLP superabsorbent polymer exhibited very high absorption capacity in hydroalcoholic solutions containing up to 40% v/v ethyl alcohol. Swelling was reduced at low pH, but quickly increased past 150 g/g in solutions at pH 3 and above, representing the environments of the stomach and upper intestines. Conclusion. Polymers such as CLP, when properly formulated in small doses, appear promising as an oral method to slow the rapid absorption of ethanol from the gastrointestinal tract. Grants. NSU President’s grant # 335867 and the HPD Research Grant #335829