Tamarind seed gum-based hydrogel for the targeted delivery of imidazobenzothiazole sulfonamide derivative as an...

The current investigation intended to assess the controlled delivery of 7-sulfonamide-2-(4-methylphenyl) imidazo[2,1-b] [1, 3] benzothiazole an anticancer agent (ACA) by tamarind seed gum-based hydrogel; for its potential activity against hepatocellular carcinoma. The FTIR spectra, SEM, ¹³C NMR, PXRD, and TGA analyses evidenced the successful loading of ACA into the hydrogel system. The rheological testing conveyed the increase in the elastic nature of ACA-loaded hydrogel helping in an effective release. In-vitro delivery of ACA from the hydrogel matrix was maximum at pH 5.5 with controlled and prolonged release of 98.93 ± 1 % over 1680 min. The ACA-release kinetics was well-fitted to the Hill equation model (R² = 0.9925), leading to a non-Fickian diffusion process (n = 0.5217). The tamarind seed gum-based hydrogel as a potential matrix for the oral administration of the ACA at hepatocellular carcinoma was envisaged and acute oral toxicity assessment on the Drosophila Melanogaster model indicated a high safety profile in-vivo. The ACA-loaded TG-g-poly (AMPS) system showed an enhanced anticancer activity with an IC₅₀ value of 37.27 μg/mL than the ACA (IC₅₀ = 44.75 μg/mL). Studies on the ACA-loaded hydrogel's ability to induce apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells further supported its anticancer effectiveness in-vitro.