Development of Capsaicin Loaded Hydrogel Beads for In vivo Lipid Lowering Activities of Hyperlipidemic Rats

The presence of capsaicin in the diet has been revealed to enhance energy expenditure and it has been used in anti-obesity therapy. The present work investigated the potential antihyperlipidemic effect of capsaicin loaded hydrogel beads on hyperlipidemic rats. Hydrogels are three dimensional, hydrophilic, polymeric networks capable of imbibing large amounts of water or biological fluids. Capsaicin loaded hydrogel beads were prepared by the ionotropic gelation method using Aluminium Chloride (AlCl₃) as a cross-linking agent. The characterization of hydrogel beads was carried out by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) analysis. The surface morphology revealed that the prepared beads were spherical in shape. XRD and DSC study of the hydrogel beads revealed that the drug was homogeneously dispersed in the hydrogel matrix. The beads showed pH sensitive behavior and when the medium pH was changed from 1.2 to 7.4, the capsaicin release was considerably increased. 100mg/kg body weight of Triton was injected intraperitoneally in rats to induce hyperlipidemia and it showed elevated levels of serum cholesterol and triglyceride. Capsaicin loaded hydrogel beads were administered to normal and hyperlipidemic rats for 7 days and the prepared hydrogel beads were significantly reduced high lipid profile in comparison to free capsaicin. The results clearly demonstrated that hydrogel beads can be used as a potential carrier for delivery of capsaicin to reduce lipid profile.