SWELLING CHARACTERISTICS OF POLLYSACCHARIDE HYDROGEL AND THEIR POTENTIAL FOR DRUG DELIVERY

Abstract

Using neem gum (NG) powder, polyethylene glycol (PEG) with molecular weights of 1500 and 6000, ammonium persulfate (APS) and acetic acid (AAc), the current study successfully synthesised and characterised a hydrogel, followed by the loading of levofloxacin. In order to optimise the hydrogel, different amounts of PEG, AAc, and APS were added and the swelling characteristics of NG and MOG hydrogels were investigated. For thorough characterisation, Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was utilised which is used for identifying chemical functional groups present in the sample. The study examined the produced hydrogel's swelling behaviour and drug release kinetics in a range of pH settings, including distilled water and buffer solutions with a pH of 5.5, 7.4, and 8.5. This project advances the rapidly developing field of hydrogel production by demonstrating the feasibility of combining synthetic materials like PEG and AAc with natural polymers like NG. The process of customised optimisation clarifies the crucial function of essential components in regulating the characteristics of the hydrogel, including its rate of drug release and swelling. These developments could find use in medication delivery systems, where pH responsiveness is frequently a crucial component of successful treatment outcomes.