Snakegourd root/Astragalus polysaccharide hydrogel preparation and application in 3D printing.

Hydrogels have good water retention, biocompatibility and biodegradability, so they are well used in the medical industry. Here, we have active polysaccharide exacted from Chinese traditional medicine and carboxymethyl chitosan cross-linked to form hydrogel and characterized them by Scanning electron microscopy, FTIR analysis, swelling, degradation, release and cytotoxicity tests. We printed the composite hydrogel into patches with three different shapes by Hot-Melt extruded 3D printer and studied the effects of different shapes on the release of drug. The results show, under acidic or alkaline conditions, the BSA cumulative release rate of the three hydrogel patches with different shape range from 49% to 89%. Therefore, there is a significant difference in the release between circular, cube and rectangular shape. Through the study, we found that the hydrogels we prepared have excellent potential for future applications in drug delivery system.