Proportion Of Gelatin Research Articles

Formulation and In Vitro Evaluation of Diacerein Microspheres Using Ethyl-cellulose as Rate Retarding Agent

Diacerein is a newly developed anti-inflammatory drug that is chemically and pharmacologically different from NSAIDs. Diacerein is poorly soluble in water and possesses a slower dissolution rate. The development of Diacerein microspheres improved the aqueous solubility and the drug dissolution rate. Similarly, Diacerein microspheres enabled us to control the drug's release rate and minimize the dosing frequency. The solvent evaporation method prepared diacerein microspheres using ethyl cellulose and hydroxyl propyl cellulose as encapsulation material. In this study, six different formulations were prepared using different proportions of ethyl cellulose, and two formulations encompassing different combinations of ethyl cellulose and hydroxyl propyl cellulose were prepared. Different proportions of gelatin were used as emulsifying agents. The formulated microspheres were evaluated through FTIR, SEM, %age yield, chemical assay, release kinetics, in vitro dissolution studies, and entrapment efficiency. FTIR spectra depicted that there was no drug-to-polymer interaction. SEM confirmed the spherical nature of microspheres, and the drug entrapment efficiency was 89%. Our study demonstrates that microspheres could be a suitable technique to formulate DCN sustained release formulation.

Nanoemulsion-integrated gelatin/bacterial cellulose nanofibril-based multifunctional film: Fabrication, characterization, and application

The current requirements of food safety regulations and the environmental impact stemming from plastic packaging can only be addressed by developing suitable bio-nanocomposite films. Therefore, this study is dedicated to the fabrication of multifunctional film composed of gelatin, bacterial cellulose nanofibrils (BCNF), and black pepper essential oil nanoemulsion (BPEONE) and application for duck meat preservation. BCNF was prepared through ultrasonication of cellulose derived from Komagataeibacter xylinus. BPEONE observed spherical morphology with a diameter ranging from 83.7 to 118 nm. A film matrix containing a higher gelatin proportion than BCNF was more effective in trapping BPEONE. However, increasing the BPEONE fraction showed more surface abrasion and voids in the film morphology. A flexible film with good interaction, crystallinity, and greater thermal stability (421 °C) was developed. Nevertheless, film hydrophobicity (118.89°) declined, resulting in a notable effect on water solubility, swelling, and water vapor permeability. Moreover, the film had improved antibacterial and antioxidant activities, coupled with controlled release characteristics. Consequently, the developed film effectively retarded the lipid oxidation, inhibited microbial growth, and extended the shelf life of duck meat at refrigeration (4 °C) by 3 days, and made the film a promising alternative in the realm of bio-active packaging technology.

Ethyl cellulose/gelatin-carboxymethyl chitosan bilayer films doped with Euryale ferox seed shell polyphenol for cooked meat preservation

This study evaluated the effects of an edible bilayer containing polyphenols from the Euryale ferox seed shell on ready-to-eat cooked beef products, including the physical, mechanical, antioxidant, and antibacterial capabilities. Here, the bilayer films were prepared by layer-by-layer solution pouring using hydrophobic ethyl cellulose (EC) as the outer layer, and hydrophilic gelatin/carboxymethyl chitosan (GC) as the inner layer. By adjusting the proportion of gelatin to carboxymethyl chitosan, the optical, mechanical, and barrier characteristics of bilayer films were markedly enhanced. Extracted polyphenol (EP) from shell of the Euryale ferox seed performed potent antibacterial property against Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes). The addition of EP to the inner layer of the optimized bilayer film further improved the mechanical and barrier properties of films, and as expected, the film exhibited antioxidant and antibacterial abilities. Additionally, cooked beef and cooked chicken preservation tests indicated that the active bilayer film showed good inhibition of L. monocytogenes and delayed lipid oxidation in ready-to-eat meat products, and significantly delayed the pH, moisture loss, color and texture changes. This study developed multifunctional bilayer active edible films, which has a great potential in the preservation ready-to-eat cooked meat products.

Preparation of cassava starch-gelatin yolk-shell microspheres by water-in-water emulsion method

This paper reports the preparation and characterization of gelatin-cassava starch microspheres using the water-in-water emulsion technique. The effects of different weight ratios (10: 0, 9: 1, 8: 2, 7: 3, 6: 4, 5: 5) of starch to gelatin on the morphology, structure, thermal properties, and stability of microspheres were investigated. The morphology results showed that most microspheres had spherical shapes and smooth surfaces. When the weight ratio of starch to gelatin was 5: 5, the prepared microspheres formed a stable yolk-shell structure. The swelling capacity of the microspheres increased with the proportion of gelatin, up to 682.3 %. The gelatin and starch in the microspheres were compatible but not miscible. Compared with the native starch, the crystalline structure of microspheres changed from A-type to a mixture of B-type and V-type, and the relative crystallinity decreased. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed that the melting of microspheres involved both gelatin dissolution and starch gelatinization. Due to the formation of composite microspheres, the starch content decreased, and the release of reducing sugars from the microspheres upon hydrolysis was reduced. The gelatin-cassava starch microspheres are simple to prepare, biocompatible, and can be used as a potential material for microencapsulation.

Development and performance of a gelatin-based bio-polysaccharide drag reduction coating

The secreting drag reduction mucus in fish epiderm inspires the manufacturing of five gelatin–polysaccharide drag reduction coatings. First, a mixed solution composed of the gelatin and bio-polysaccharides [guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, tragacanth gum, or acacia gum] was poured into rectangular grooved polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plates, and bionic coatings were obtained after curing. Then, the surface characteristics of the coatings were characterized, and the internal micro-/nanoscale three dimensional (3D) net structures provided releasing access for the polysaccharide molecules. Importantly, a parametric study focusing on the gelatin and polysaccharide proportion affected the drag reduction of the coatings in a turbulent channel flow. Based on a smooth PMMA plate without a coating as a reference, the five developed coatings exhibited considerable drag-reducing effects with the corresponding maximum drag reduction rates that all exceeded 20%. There are three drag reduction mechanisms (polymer drag reduction, slip phenomenon, and wall flexibility) and one drag increase mechanism (surface roughness). Increasing the gelatin proportion affects the release rate of the drag-reducing agents, surface flexibility, and surface slip properties. Meanwhile, increasing the polysaccharide proportion promotes the release of polysaccharides, but increases the surface roughness. Thus, the effects of gelatin and polysaccharide are complicated due to competition between these mechanisms. Future works should focus on clarifying the complex mechanisms to improve the drag reduction efficiency of the gelatin-based bio-polysaccharide coatings. These biomimetic drag-reducing coatings could be further applied to underwater equipment.

Active Packaging Films Made by Complex Coacervation of Tragacanth Gum and Gelatin Loaded with Curcumin; Characterization and Antioxidant Activity.

The development of biopolymer-based green packaging films has gained remarkable attention in recent years. In this study, curcumin active films were prepared using different proportions of gelatin (GE) and a soluble fraction of tragacanth gum (SFTG) (1GE:1SFTG and 2GE:1SFTG) by complex coacervation. The various ratios of used biopolymers did not significantly impact the mechanical properties, thickness, and WVP of final films. However, biopolymers’ ratio impacted the moisture content, water solubility, swelling ratio, and release rate. Blending curcumin with biopolymers caused a reduction in tensile strength (from 1.74 MPa to 0.62 MPa for film containing 1GE:1SFTG and from 1.77 MPa to 0.17 MPa for film containing 2GE:1SFTG) and proliferation in elongation at break (from 81.48% to 122.00% for film containing 1GE:1SFTG and from 98.87% to 109.58% MPa for film containing 2GE:1SFTG). Moisture content and water solubility of films experienced a decrease after the addition of curcumin. Antioxidant activity of curcumin-loaded films was almost five times higher than neat film samples. Furthermore, the interreaction between the carboxylic group of SFTG and amide I of GE formed an amide linkage and was proven by FTIR analysis. TGA showed a drop in the thermal stability of film samples compared to the main ingredients. In general, the complex coacervate of SFTG and GE has the advantage of developing eco-friendly and low-cost packaging film in the food industry, especially for the protection of fatty foods.

Monetite addition into gelatin based freeze-dried scaffolds for improved mechanical and osteogenic properties

This study was aimed at fabricating monetite nanoparticles impregnated gelatin-based composite scaffold to improve the chemical, mechanical and osteogenic properties. Scaffolds were fabricated using a freeze-drying technique of the slurry containing a varying proportion of gelatin and monetite. The lyophilized scaffolds were cross-linked with 0.25 wt% glutaraldehyde solution to obtain a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected porous microstructure with improved mechanical strength and stability in a physiological environment. The fabricated scaffolds possessed >80% porosity having 3D interconnected pore size distribution varying between 65 and 270 μm as evident from field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis. The average pore size of the prepared scaffold decreased with monetite addition as reflected in values of 210 μm for pure gelatin GM0 scaffold and 118 μm registered by GM20 scaffold. On increase in monetite content up to 20 wt% of total polymer concentration, compressive strength of the prepared scaffolds was increased from 0.92 MPa in pure gelatin-based GM0 to 2.43 MPa in GM20. Up to 20 wt% of monetite reinforced composite scaffolds exhibited higher bioactivity as compared to that observed in pure gelatin-based GM0 scaffold. Simulated body fluid (SBF) study and alizarin red assays confirmed higher bio-mineralization ability of GM20 as compared to that exhibited by GM0. Human preosteoblast cells (MG-63) revealed higher degree of filopodia and lamellipodia extensions and excellent spreading behavior to anchor with GM20 matrix as compared to that onto GM0 and GM10. MTT assay and alkaline phosphatase staining study indicated that MG-63 cells found a more conducive environment to proliferate and subsequently differentiate into osteoblast lineage when exposed to GM20 scaffolds rather than to GM0 and GM10. This study revealed that up to 20 wt% monetite addition in gelatin could improve the performance of prepared scaffolds and serve as an efficient candidate to repair and regenerate bone tissues at musculoskeletal defect sites.

The Effect of Various Comparison of the Proportions of Seaweed (Eucheuma spinosum) and Gelatin on the Characteristics of Roselle Jelly Candy (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.)

Rosela flower (H. sabdariffa L.) is one of the plants that has many health benefits, which contain Vitamin C, Vitamin A, essential proteins, and 18 types of amino acids that aim to strengthen the body's immune system, treat diabetes, inhibit cancer cells and many more properties of this plant. Gelling agent commonly used to make jelly candy is gelatin, but in the application sometimes gelatin even makes the texture of jelly candy becomes very hard if the added concentration is not appropriate, besides the price of special gelatin food ( food grade) is still relatively expensive compared to other hydrocolloid materials. That's why it takes another gel shaper that can improve the quality of the texture of jelly candy and suppress the use of gelatin, one of which can be used seaweed (E. spinosum). The objective of this research was to find out the effect of various proportions of seaweed (E. spinosum) and gelatin on the characteristics of roselle jelly candy (H. sabdariffa L.). The method used is non-parametric statistical tests (Friedman test) with 10 levels of treatment and performed three times the test on each treatment. The treatment that will be done is a comparison of various proportions of seaweed: gelatin, namely PI (0: 8); P2 (0: 10); P3 (25:8); P4 (25:10); P5 (30:8); P6 (30:10); P7 (35:0); P8 (35:8); P9 (40:0) and P10 (40:8). The results showed there was a very noticeable difference in all the comparative treatment of seaweed and gelatin proportions against all test parameters. The best organoleptic test results showed color organoleptic test scores of 3.00 (neutral), organoleptic textures of 3.37 (neutral-like), organoleptic flavors of 3.40 (neutral-like) and organoleptic aromas of 3.00 (neutral).

Investigation of the Effectiveness of Polyurethane Composites Containing Gelatin at Different Rates on the Release of Ciprofloxacin

Recently, polyurethane materials are widely used for many application areas such as drug delivery systems, biomaterial production, etc. In this study, polyurethane structures containing different amounts of gelatin (5%, 10%) were prepared. A release system was designed with ciprofloxacin adsorption to the prepared polyurethane structures. The structural characterization, thermal properties, surface morphologies of the designed system were determined using appropriate techniques. Monitoring of ciprofloxacin release was carried out by UV-spectrophotometer. It was determined that polyurethane structures containing different proportions of gelatin supported the adsorption of ciprofloxacin and the release slowed down with the increasing gelatin ratio. With this study, many drug delivery systems that can release at different rates and durations depending on the amount of gelatin additive can be designed.

Physicochemical and In Vitro Degradation Behaviors of Fibrous Membranes with Different Polycaprolactone and Gelatin Proportions.

Mechanical and degradation properties are crucial factors of guided tissue/bone regeneration (GTR/GBR) membranes. In this work, a series of fibrous membranes with different ratios of polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin (Gel) were prepared (PCL:Gel = 1:9 (P1G9), 3:7 (P3G7), 5:5 (P5G5), 7:3 (P7G3), and 9:1 (P9G1)) by electrospinning, and their physicochemical properties and In Vitro degradation behaviors were systematically investigated. Mechanical tests showed that tensile strength was enhanced with the presence of Gel, and the tensile strength of the P9G1 membrane reached nearly three times that of the pure PCL membrane. The degradation rate of the composite membranes could be adjusted by controlling the ratio of PCL and Gel; the higher the Gel content was, the faster the degradation of the PCL/Gel membrane. The higher PCL content favored maintaining the fibrous structure of the electrospun membranes. These findings will be beneficial for designing PCL/Gel composite materials for biomedical applications.

Dietary monosodium glutamate supplementation during the feed training of pacamã (Lophiosilurus alexandri): Growth performance and intestinal histomorphometry

Feed training of carnivorous fish is a delicate and stressful process. Thus, feed additives that reduce stress and encourage fish consumption could improve training efficiency. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate monosodium glutamate (MSG) dietary supplementation during pacamã (Lophiosilurus alexandri) feed training through growth performance and intestinal histomorphometry. Fish were trained by the method of gradual diet transition, using five diets with increasing proportions of commercial diet and decreasing proportions of gelatin. A quadruplicate experimental design was performed with seven treatments, consisted in diets supplemented with different levels of MSG (0.0; 2.0; 8.0; 16.0; 29.0; 34.0 and 42.0 g/kg). Pacamã (0.17 ± 0.01 g) were distributed in 28 tanks (30 fish per tank) and trained for 41 days with the experimental diets. There were no effects (p > .05) of MSG on growth performance and feed training indices. However, fish trained with diets supplemented with 42.0 g/kg of MSG presented higher number of goblet cells in the anterior portion of intestine (p < .05). These results demonstrate that MSG did not act on growth performance and feed training efficiency of pacamã, and high levels of MSG can cause dietary stress on fish intestinal mucosa.

Rabbit Skin Gelatine Effect Towards Yoghurt Quality

This research aims to discover the quality of yoghurt added by rabbit skin gelatine of various concentrations. Qualities measured are protein content, fat content, acidity, pH, water holding capacity (WHC), syneresis, viscosity, and yoghurt texture. Materials used in this research are skim milk, rabbit skin gelatine, and yoghurt culture, which consisted of bacteria such as L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, and L. Acidophilus. The experiment is conducted using Completely Randomised Design, consisted of four treatments and five-time repetition. If there is an effect, the treatment later continued to Duncan's Multiple Range Test. Experimentation on texture is conducted through an organoleptic test with 25 panellists and later analysed with the Kruskal-Wallis Test. The treatments determined in this experiment are the effect on the addition of rabbit skin gelatin proportion of 0% (P0), 0.4% (P1), 0.6% (P2), and 0.8% (P3). The result of the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) shows that the addition of gelatine has a significant difference (P&lt;0.05) towards protein content, water holding capacity (WHC), and syneresis and no significant difference (P&gt;0.05) towards the fat content, viscosity, pH, and yoghurt's acidity degree. The Kruskal-Wallis test result shows the significant difference (P&gt;0.05) towards yoghurt's texture. This research concludes that the best yoghurt quality is obtained by the addition of 0.8% of rabbit skin gelatine.

A new spectroscopic method for measuring ferric diffusion coefficient in gelatin-based dosimeter gels

A new absorption spectroscopy method which enables rapid measurement of the diffusion coefficient of Fe3+ in gelatin gel used in dosimetry was investigated. The physical approach, the preparation and the experimental application of this new method were tested on the EasyDosit dosimetry gel and the results were validated by MRI measurement. The diffusion coefficients measured on this gel were then compared with those of the other gels presented in the literature. This gel, which is considered stable, has a small post-irradiation ion diffusion, despite the absence of a complexing or crosslinking agent. The diffusion coefficients of a range of dosimetry gels containing different proportions of gelatin were also measured and the results show diffusion coefficients D from 3.21.10−10 m2.s−1 to 2.41.10−10 m2.s−1.

Mimicked hybrid hydrogel based on gelatin/PVA for tissue engineering in subchondral bone interface for osteoarthritis surgery

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease of the articular cartilage and extends to the subchondral bone. The interface between these soft and hard tissues has a significant role in OA. In this work, gelatin/PVA hydrogels in different ratios of 100:0, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70, and 0:100 were prepared by chemical and freeze-thaw physical crosslinking. The molecular organization and morphology were characterized and observed by FTIR and SEM, respectively. The physical properties of swelling ratio, degradation rate, and compressive strength were evaluated. The hydrogels were cultured with osteoblasts before evaluation of cell adhesion and proliferation, ALP activity, calcium deposition, and calcium content. The gelatin/PVA formed hydrogels via crosslinking of chemical bonding and molecular interaction. The morphology demonstrated that the pore sizes decreased as the proportion of PVA increased and the swelling ratio and degradation rate increased as the proportion of gelatin increased. The compressive strength increased as the proportion of PVA increased. The biological function tests showed that gelatin/PVA supported cell adhesion and proliferation, ALP activity, calcium deposition, and calcium content. Finally, the gelatin/PVA ratio of 30:70 demonstrated suitable structural formation, physical properties, and biological functions to induce tissue formation at the subchondral bone interface for OA surgery.

Potential core-shell designed scaffolds with a gelatin-based shell in achieving controllable release rates of proteins for tissue engineering approaches.

The biomaterials design as core-shell structures opens a new door to the release of susceptible biomolecules in a controllable manner and enables to place natural biomaterials as shell layers to impart the effective biofunctional features at surfaces. In this study, core-shell designed scaffolds were prepared using coaxial electrospinning with hybrid of gelatin (GT)/polycaprolactone (PCL) at different weight ratios as their shell and protein solution as their core, followed by cross-linking to impart controllable release rates, tunable mechanical properties, and enhanced cytocompatibility. SEM, FM, and TEM confirmed the successful production of uniform core-shell nanofibers and homogeneous protein distribution. Results showed that an increase in GT proportion in the shell resulted in a decrease in fiber diameter, an increase of Young's modulus, and an intense burst release of BSA 0.2% which could be controlled through cross-linking. The mechanical tests revealed that the GT/PCL combining and cross-linking improved mechanical properties which correlated with an increase in spreading and proliferation of HUVECs. A slight burst release was also detected from BSA 0.05% and EGF encapsulated GT73P-cross-linked scaffold which demonstrated their applicability for a controlled release of dilute proteins. We were able to successfully incorporate two types of protein with different concentrations without supporting polymer into the GT shell to provide scaffolds possessing tunable mechanical properties and controllable release rates through blending with PCL at different ratios and/or cross-linking. These findings are promising to promote delivery systems of angiogenic growth factors that are needed a sustained release with different rates at each angiogenesis stage. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2019.

Preparation and Characterization of Ha/Gel/β-TCP Microspheres Composite Porous Scaffold

Being one of the three elements of tissue engineering, three-dimensional porous structure scaffold plays an important role in tissue engineering. As it not only prvovide cells for the life, but also serves as a template to guide tissue regeneration and control of organizational structure and other functions. In this study, hyaluronic acid and gelatin are successfully cross-linked by 1-ethyl- (3-dimethylaminopropyl) -carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) , and compound β-TCP microspheres to prepare porous hydrogel scaffolds. The microspheres were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). At the same time, the compressive strength, swelling ratio, degradation of the scaffold were tested. To assess the in vitro cell compatibility of the scaffolds, mouse L929 fibroblasts were seeded onto scaffolds for cell morphology and cell viability studies. The results showed that the pore size of the porous scaffold can be adjusted by changing the ratio of gelatin to hyaluronic acid (HA), increasing the proportion of hyaluronic acid in a certain range, pore size will be significantly increased. With the increase of the proportion of hyaluronic acid in the scaffold, the swelling ratio and the degradation rate also increased. The compressive strength of the scaffold increased with the increase of the proportion of gelatin. The appropriate ratio of β-TCP can promote cell growth and proliferation.

Development of chitosan/gelatin/keratin composite containing hydrocortisone sodium succinate as a buccal mucoadhesive patch to treat desquamative gingivitis

The aim of this research was to develop chitosan/gelatin/keratin composite containing hydrocortisone sodium succinate as a buccal mucoadhesive patch to treat desquamative gingivitis, which was fabricated through an environmental friendly process. Mucoadhesive films increase the advantage of higher efficiency and drug localization in the affected region. In this research, mucoadhesive films, for the release of hydrocortisone sodium succinate, were prepared using different ratios of chitosan, gelatin and keratin. In the first step, chitosan and gelatin proportions were optimized after evaluating the mechanical properties, swelling capacity, water uptake, stability, and biodegradation of the films. Then, keratin was added at different percentages to the optimum composite of chitosan and gelatin together with the drug. The results of surface pH showed that none of the samples were harmful to the buccal cavity. FTIR analysis confirmed the influence of keratin on the structure of the composite. The presence of a higher amount of keratin in the composite films resulted in high mechanical, mucoadhesive properties and stability, low water uptake and biodegradation in phosphate buffer saline (pH = 7.4) containing 104 U/ml lysozyme. The release profile of the films ascertained that keratin is a rate controller in the release of the hydrocortisone sodium succinate. Finally, chitosan/gelatin/keratin composite containing hydrocortisone sodium succinate can be employed in dental applications.

Hybrid materials on the basis of gelatin and hydrophilic–hydrophobic silica

Silica–gelatin films with different proportions of gelatin and silica have been prepared on the basis of gelatin and hydrophilic or hydrophilic–hydrophobic silica. The wettability of the hybrid materials, their swelling in aqueous media, and the thermal desorption of water from the obtained films are studied. It is shown that the presence of hydrophilic silica in the material gives rise to inhibition of swelling of the gelatin films and to a decrease in their affinity to water, while the replacement of hydrophilic silica by hydrophilic–hydrophobic silica allows one to additionally increase the hydrophobicity of hybrid materials.

Room temperature synthesis of ZIF-8 membranes from seeds anchored in gelatin films for gas separation

We developed a new approach to synthesize MOF seeds by directly growing ZIF-8 seeds from zinc hydroxide nanostrands (ZHNs)/gelatin composite thin films. The ZIF-8 seeds were anchored firmly and partially in the gelatin film, which could overcome the poor bonding between the substrate and the MOF layer. Using these seeds, after second growth, a dense and well intergrown ZIF-8/gelatine thin film composite membrane was obtained. The different proportions of gelatin mixed with ZHNs influenced the density of the seeds, accordingly affecting the quality of the final ZIF-8/gelatin membranes. The continuous and well intergrown membranes with a ZIF-8 layer of about 2 μm, exhibited H2 permeance of 7.68 × 10−6 mol s−1 Pa−1 m−2 at room temperature, with ideal selectivities for H2/CH4 and H2/N2 gases of 14.2 and 9.4, respectively, far beyond the Knudsen selectivity. Similarly, an HKUST-1 seeds/gelatin thin film was also synthesized. This process holds the potential for synthesis of other MOF membranes on various substrates.

Gelatin‐carbohydrate phase‐separated hydrogels as bioactive carriers in vaginal delivery: Preparation and physical characterizations

ABSTRACTThe current study focuses on the alteration of properties of the gelatin hydrogels using polysaccharides (e.g., maltodextrin, dextran, and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose) for probable use in vaginal delivery of antimicrobials. The hydrogels were prepared by varying the proportions of gelatin and polysaccharides and were characterized by microscopy, mechanical testing, and impedance spectroscopy. Metronidazole (MZ), drug of choice for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis, was incorporated within the hydrogels. In vitro release studies of MZ from the hydrogels was studied in‐depth using modified Franz's diffusion cell. Antimicrobial efficiency of the MZ‐loaded hydrogels was tested against E. coli and B. subtilis. The results suggested that the incorporation of polysaccharides resulted in the phase‐separated hydrogels. The properties of the hydrogels was found be suitable for vaginal delivery. The drug release and antimicrobial efficiency from the hydrogels suggested that the developed hydrogels may be used for the delivery of antimicrobials in the vaginal lumen. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40445.