pH-Sensitive Dextrin-Based Nanosponges Crosslinked with Pyromellitic Dianhydride and Citric Acid: Swelling, Rheological Behavior, Mucoadhesion, and In Vitro Drug Release

Dextrin-based nanosponges (D-NS) are promising candidates for oral drug delivery due to their biocompatibility, mucoadhesive properties, and tunable swelling behavior. In this study, pH-sensitive nanosponges were synthesized using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), GluciDex®2 (GLU2), and KLEPTOSE® Linecaps (LC) as building blocks, crosslinked with pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and citric acid (CA). The nanosponges were mechanically size-reduced via homogenization and ball milling, and characterized by FTIR, TGA, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential measurements. Swelling kinetics, cross-linking density (determined using Flory–Rehner theory), rheological behavior, and mucoadhesion were evaluated under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. The β-CD:PMDA 1:4 NS was selected for drug studies due to its optimal balance of structural stability, swelling capacity (~863% at pH 6.8), and highest apomorphine (APO) loading (8.23%) with 90.58% encapsulation efficiency. All nanosuspensions showed favorable polydispersity index values (0.11–0.30), homogeneous size distribution, and stable zeta potentials, confirming suspension stability. Storage at 4 °C for six months revealed no changes in physicochemical properties or apomorphine (APO) degradation, indicating protection by the nanosponge matrix. D-NS exhibited tunable swelling, pH-responsive behavior, and mucoadhesive properties, with nanoparticle–mucin interactions quantified by the rheological synergism parameter (∆G′ = 53.45, ∆G″ = −36.26 at pH 6.8). In vitro release studies demonstrated slow, sustained release of APO from D-NS in simulated intestinal fluid compared to free drug diffusion, highlighting the potential of D-NS as pH-responsive, mucoadhesive carriers with controlled drug release and defined nanoparticle–mucin interactions.