Organic and Inorganic Chemistry

Keeping in view the inherent wound healing ability of polysaccharides, tragacanth gum and sodium alginate, in the present work, an attempt has been made by my research group to design the antibiotic drug ‘gentamicin’ and analgesic drug ‘lidocaine’ loaded sterile hydrogel dressings by radiation induced crosslinking, for simultaneous care of wound infection and wound pain. These polymers were characterized by cryo-SEM, AFM, FTIR, XRD, 13C-NMR, and swelling studies. Drug release profile and other biomedical properties like haemolysis, mucoadhesion, water vapor permeability, microbial penetration, antioxidant activities and oxygen permeability were also determined. The results showed that wound fluid absorption and slow drug release ability of hydrogel films. These polymer films were found to be blood compatible, permeable to water vapor and O2, and impermeable to microorganism. Further, the synergic effects of antimicrobial and antioxidant nature of hydrogel dressings will make them suitable candidate for wound management.