%A Sz?ts, Angela %A Szücs, Mária %A Er?s, István %A Ambrus, Rita %A Otomo, Naoya %A Szabó-Révész, Piroska %D 2010 %T Study of thermosensitive gel-forming properties of sucrose stearates %K excipients, sucrose stearates, thermosensitive, gelling properties, rheological measurements, drug release %X Sucrose esters (SEs) are biodegradable surfactants that can be manufactured in various hydrophilic-lipophilic balances (HLB), through the use of different fatty acids. They are used in foods, and in industries, such as the cosmetics, detergents and pharmaceutical industries. In aqueous media, they can form gels, which can exert effects on the various industrial processes. The modern pharmaceutical industry is currently displaying an increasing preference for biomaterials and environmentally sensitive gels, and in particular thermosensitive gels. By virtue of the non-toxic, biodegradable and gel-forming properties of SEs, they are promising materials with which to form thermosensitive delivery systems. In this study, the gelling properties of some sucrose stearates were investigated by rheological measurements, and compared with each other. The effects of the gel-forming SEs on model drug (paracetamol) release were evaluated through in vitro drug release studies. The rheological results indicated that the sucrose stearates with lower HLB values have higher gel strengths than those of the more hydrophilic sucrose stearates. The gelling of the SEs is concentration- and temperature-dependent, and this gelling behaviour is responsible for the great effect of sucrose stearates on drug release. %U https://ojs.abo.fi/ojs/index.php/jefc/article/view/19 %J Journal of Excipients and Food Chemicals %0 Journal Article %P 13-20%V 1 %N 2 %@ 21502668 %8 2010-09-16