Crosslinking of poly(vinylpyrrolidone)/acrylic acid with tragacanth gum for hydrogels formation for use in drug delivery applications

Tragacanth gum (TG) is generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration. The present article discusses the design of ciprofloxacin loaded TG based hydrogels for use in drug delivery especially to improve the pharmacotherapy of diverticulitis. The polymers were characterized by SEMs, FTIR, 13C NMR, XRD, TGA, DSC, gel strength and swelling studies. The polymer network parameters, mucoadhesion, gel strength, drug release mechanism and kinetic model were also determined. The release of drug occurred through non-Fickian diffusion mechanism and best fitted in the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. The pH of the swelling medium has also exerted a strong effect on polymer network structure and mechanical strength. These hydrogels have been observed pH responsive and mucoadhesive in nature and could be utilized for site specific drug delivery.