pH-responsive xanthan-glycerol hydrogel: An effective wound dressing for controlled amoxicillin delivery

In this study, pH-sensitive xanthan-glycerol hydrogels were developed for the controlled delivery of amoxicillin. The detailed characterization of the hydrogel matrix involved evaluating various parameters, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), drug loading percentage, swelling and degradation behavior, drug release kinetics, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity were performed. FTIR analysis confirmed successful synthesis of the hydrogel, while SEM revealed its smooth surface and porous structure. By optimizing the formulation parameters, 75.43 % of the total drug was successfully loaded in the hydrogel samples. The pH-responsive nature of the hydrogels was demonstrated by variations in swelling and degradation at different pH levels, with significantly higher swelling and degradation observed in basic environments due to the larger pore size. At pH of 7.5, the swelling ratio after 8 h and degradation after 48 h were 722.5 % and 19.99 %, respectively. Drug release studies indicated that cumulative release was pH-dependent, increasing from 18.4 % at pH of 2 to 88 % at pH of 8.5 after 8 h in in vitro conditions (PBS buffer at temperature of 37 °C). Additionally, the hydrogel demonstrated significant antibacterial activity, exhibiting 26 mm inhibition zone against Staphylococcus aureus, while cytotoxicity assays confirmed its biocompatibility. These findings underscored the potential of xanthan-glycerol hydrogels as effective and responsive wound dressings for controlled antibiotic delivery.