A novel polymer in the form of a thiolated derivative of natural tamarind seed polysaccharide or xyloglucan was synthesized and its chacteristics as a mucoadhesive polymer were studied as a part of the study undertaken herein. The synthetic route followed involves a two-step reaction mechanism of firstly oxidizing xyloglucan and then further conjugating it with l-cysteine to form thiolated xyloglucan or thiomer via imine linkage. The thiomer thus formed was characterized using various analytical techniques as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Ellman's method was used to determine the numbers of thiol groups/g of thiolated xyloglucan. Zeta potential measurements were carried out for thiolated xyloglucan. Viscosities of the formulated xyloglucan and thiolated xyloglucan gels were comparatively evaluated along with the evaluation of mucoadhesive properties of the gels using ex vivo bioadhesion study employing freshly excised sheep intestinal mucosa.
Keywords: Characterization; Mucoadhesion; Thiolation; Xyloglucan.
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