Carboxymethylated gum tragacanth crosslinked poly(sodium acrylate)hydrogel: Fabrication, characterization, rheology and drug-delivery application

This study aimed to synthesize Carboxymethylated Gum Tragacanth (CMGT) from the Gum Tragacanth (GT). Modified gum's potential as a drug delivery carrier has been explored by synthesizing CMGT based hydrogels. The viscoelastic characteristics of the fabricated hydrogel have been examined by Rheological analysis. SEM studies have been conducted to examine the surface morphology and TGA is used to perform the thermal analysis. XRD, FTIR, and solid state 13C NMR have been used to examine the structural features of the GT, CMGT, sodium acrylate based hydrogel (SAH) and carboxymethylated gum tragacanth co-polymerized with sodium acrylate based hydrogel (CMGT-co-SAH). The anti-inflammatory drug, Aceclofenac Sodium(AFS) loaded onto the hydrogel has been used as a model drug. The AFS follows the Fickian mechanism of diffusion and the results are best fitted in Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models.