Sustainable development of hybrid aerogels from surplus gelatin and chitosan for enhancing the dissolution rate of clotrimazole

Abstract Hybrid aerogels were developed using surplus gelatin from the pharmaceutical industry and chitosan to address gelatin waste and enhance drug solubility. Glutaraldehyde (GA) was used as a cross‐linking agent to establish a porous network within hydrogels, which were solvent‐exchanged with ethanol and freeze‐dried to form aerogels. These aerogels served as carriers for clotrimazole, a poorly water‐soluble antifungal drug. The impact of the volume ratio of GA to the chitosan–gelatin mixture (ranging from 10% to 40% GA) and chitosan‐to‐gelatin ratios (1:1–1:4) on clotrimazole content and dissolution rate was investigated. Aerogels cross‐linked with 20% GA achieved a drug release rate threefold higher than unprocessed clotrimazole at 180 min, with all aerogels outperforming xerogels and raw clotrimazole. XRD and DSC analyses revealed reduced clotrimazole crystallinity, indicating its transition to an amorphous form. Antifungal tests against Trichophyton mentagrophytes ATCC 9533 showed inhibition zones of 83.5 ± 2.1 mm and 82.5 ± 3.5 mm for aerogels with chitosan‐to‐gelatin ratios of 1:1 and 1:4, respectively, comparable to unprocessed clotrimazole (92.5 ± 3.5 mm). This study demonstrates the potential of gelatin waste and chitosan‐based aerogels as sustainable carriers for poorly water‐soluble drugs, advancing pharmaceutical applications and environmental sustainability. Highlights A hybrid aerogel composed of chitosan and surplus gelatin was fabricated. GA amount and chitosan‐to‐gelatin ratio impacted drug content and dissolution. Clotrimazole‐loaded aerogels dissolved faster than the pure drug and xerogels. The 1:1 and 1:4 chitosan–gelatin aerogels had similar antifungal efficacy.