A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences,
University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Medicine (Pharmacy), JohannesburgThis thesis presents a multifaceted approach which comprehensively describes the design of novel drug delivery polymeric complexes through the application of innovative crosslinking reactions. These reactions have been built on the statistical and mathematical principles governing the technique of Design of Experiments. At the outset, pertinent aspects covering the importance of rate-controlled drug delivery in achieving superior therapeutics is presented. In addition, the fundamental mechanisms which regulate the complex behaviour of polymeric materials are outlined, placing emphasis on the mathematical models which demonstrate the critical need to be able to synchronize the processes of matrix hydration, relaxation, disentanglement, erosion and dissolution. Initially, the Plackett-Burman Design was evaluated to develop a crosslinked polymeric oilisphere device for the in vitro site-specific delivery of Mentha piperita oil. This design proved to be highly successful in rapidly identifying the appropriate release rate-modifying variables through the application of stepwise regression optimization and Artificial Neural Networks.IT201
