Carboxymethyl gum kondagogu: Synthesis, characterization and evaluation as mucoadhesive polymer

The objective of the study was to modify gum kondagogu by carboxymethylation and to evaluate it for potential pharmaceutical applications. Carboxymethylation of gum kondagogu was carried out by reacting gum kondagogu with monochloroacetic acid under alkaline conditions. The results of characterization studies revealed that carboxymethylation of gum kondagogu increases its degree of crystallinity and surface roughness, reduces its viscosity and improves its mucoadhesive properties. Further, carboxymethyl gum kondagogu was explored for pharmaceutical applications by formulating ionotropically gelled beads using metformin as the model drug and calcium chloride as cross-linking agent. Ex vivo bioadhesion study conducted using isolated chick-ileum by wash-off test revealed bioadhesion of >80% over a period of 24 h. It was observed that increasing the concentration of cross-linking agent increases the % drug entrapment and reduces the release rate. The beads were found to release the drug by Fickian-diffusion mechanism and following zero-order release kinetics.