Abstract:Cellulose samples were prepared from fresh Jinxuan tea shoots by fixing, drying, discoloration, removal of lignin and hemicellulose, grinding, heating, and stirring to prepare hydrogels with 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as the solvent. Characterization of the prepared celluloses and hydrogels was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEC), and texture profile analysis (TPA). The equilibrium swelling degree of the hydrogels as well as the equilibrium drug loading and releasing rates were studied with sodium salicylate as the model drug molecule. The results showed slight differences in the structures of celluloses and hydrogels prepared from tea shoots with different maturity levels. During the preparation of hydrogels, the corresponding celluloses reacted with the ionic liquid and the main component of the prepared hydrogels was regenerated cellulose. The hydrogel prepared from the stems showed optimum gel and texture properties among the five groups of samples analyzed. The hydrogel prepared from the second leaf of young buds exhibited the highest equilibrium swelling degree, followed by that prepared from the stem. The highest equilibrium drug loading and releasing rates of sodium salicylate were present in the hydrogel prepared from mature leaves.
