Application of a nanocomposite based on modified salep glucomannan for monitoring controlled release of tetracycline as a model drug

Carbohydrates (polysaccharides) such as chitosan, alginate, carrageenan or salep are suitable candidates to make hydrogels for drug delivery applications. Generally, salep is obtained from tubers of Orchis. It is a rich source of glucomannan carbohydrate. In this regard, magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MMWCNT) hydrogel nanocomposite based on poly(acrylic acid) grafted onto salep carbohydrate can act as a potential carrier for novel drug delivery systems. The MMWCNT / hydrogel nanocomposite was prepared via conventional radical polymerization using salep as a natural carbohydrate. Following characterization of salep hydrogel nanocomposite, diffusion coefficients and the mechanism of release of Tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) from the carbohydrate hydrogel was investigated. According to our findings, diffusion exponent 'n' has 0.46 and 0.26 values for TCH release from hydrogel without MMWCNTs and with MMWCNTs, indicating non-Fickian transport and Fickian transport, respectively. Moreover, the effect of pH on the tetracycline release has been studied by changing the pH medium. Additionally, experiments were conducted to evaluate TCH release at different pressures and temperatures. These parameters confirmed the efficiency of this salep carbohydrate based hydrogel nanocomposite for tetracycline hydrochloride release.