Fabrication and evaluation of antimicrobial cellulose/Arabic gum hydrogels as potential drug delivery vehicle

Abstract

This article aims to assess the highly potent antimicrobial hydrogels composed of cellulose and Arabic gum containing sulfadiazine drug (sulfadiazine-loaded Cel/AG) as drug-targeting carriers. ATR-IR, SEM/ EDS, XRD, and XPS methods were used to investigate the hydrogel. The highest water absorption % was 489.93 ± 4.5 at pH 7.4. Pseudo-second order and Fickian diffusion govern the swelling behavior. The maximal sulfadiazine loading percent was 82.291 ± 74. The in-vitro drug release exhibited significant responses in physiologically simulated pH values. The maximum cumulative release percent was 66.42 ± 0.6 % at pH 7.4. The drug release is predicted by the first order and Korsmeyer–Peppas models. The first diffusion coefficient was (Di = 9.207 ± 47 × 10−3 cm2/h) and the late one was (DL = 5.64 ± 9.0 × 10−2 cm2/h) at pH 7.4. That hydrogel is well-thought-out a potential drug delivery vehicle. The thermal stability of the Cel/AG hydrogel drug carrier has been enhanced by the incorporation of sulfadiazine which is evidenced by increasing the total activation approximately two-fold. The total activation energy of Cel/AG and sulfadiazine-loaded Cel/AG hydrogels were −0.07362 and −0.2092 J/mol. The sulfadiazine medication's inhibitory effect was markedly enhanced when it was incorporated into the Cel/AG hydrogel films.