Modification of sterculia gum polysaccharide via network formation by radiation induced crosslinking polymerization for biomedical applications

Keeping in view the therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications of sterculia gum polysaccharide in consideration, its modification has been carried out through grafting and crosslinking to develop the hydrogels for enhanced biomedical applications. Radiation method was used for formation of sterile network of sterculia gum, carbopol and graphene oxide (GO). These polymers were characterized by Cryo-SEMs, AFM, 13C NMR solid state, swelling studies. Some biomedical properties of hydrogels like thrombogenicity, haemolytic potential, antioxidant activity, mucoadhesion and gel strength were determined along with the drug delivery studies. In the present work, sterile polysaccharide gum based drug delivery system was developed for the slow delivery of gemcitabine, an anti-cancer drug, to overcome its side. The release profile of anti-cancer drug “gemcitabine” followed non-Fickian diffusion mechanism and release profile was best fitted in Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model of drug release. The hydrogels were found to be non-thrombogenic, non-haemolytic, mucoadhesive and antioxidant in nature. Incorporation of the GO nano-sheets in the composite hydrogel matrix has improved its mechanical and drug delivery properties and also exerted strong influence on the network density and mesh size of the hydrogels. •Hydrogels show increase in mechanical strength with impregnation of GO.•Graphenated hydrogels shows increased drug loading capacities.•Hydrogels maintain uniform shape and size with no leaching of GO.•Drug release followed non-Fickian diffusion mechanism.•Release profile best fitted in Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model in pH 7.4.