Homogeneous carboxymethylated orange pulp cellulose: Characterization and evaluation in terms of drug delivery

The aim of the present study is to develop an environment-friendly method to convert orange pulp wastes to Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) by homogeneous substitution. Carboxymethylation of Orange pulp treated with alkaline PEG solutions was investigated and characterized by means of TGA, DSC, XRD and SEM and compared with commercial CMC. The TGA data reveals that shifting of peaks was observed towards lower temperature with increase in monochloroacetic acid (MCA). SEM studies showed greater blending of particulate powder with increasing MCA content. The crystallinity of synthesized CMC was found to be lower than the commercial CMC. Finally, the cellulosic materials were evaluated for the formulation and dissolution studies of prepared tablets. Dissolution release studies shows that synthesized cellulose (CMCOP5, CMCOP8, CMCOP11) release up to 70.1±0.04%, whereas the commercial CMC 78.184±0.07% in 8h respectively and thereby suggests that it may be used in delayed drug delivery and targeting drugs to the colon. The synthesized CMC from orange pulp may be used as substitute for the commercial CMC.