Research Article Formulation, In Vitro Evaluation, and Toxicity Studies of A. vulgaris-co-AAm Carrier for Vildagliptin Samia Kausar , 1 Alia Erum , 1 Ume Ruqia Tulain , 1 Muhammad Ajaz Hussain , 2 Muhammad Farid-ul-Haq , 2 Nadia Shamshad Malik , 3 and Ayesha Rashid 4 1 Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan 2 Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan 3 Department of Pharmacy, Capital University of Science & Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 4 Department of Pharmacy, Women University Multan, Pakistan Correspondence should be addressed to Ume Ruqia Tulain; umeruqia_tulain@yahoo.com Received 20 November 2020; Revised 17 June 2021; Accepted 4 July 2021; Published 23 July 2021 Academic Editor: Gaurav Sharma Copyright © 2021 Samia Kausar et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This study investigated the use of Artemisia vulgaris L. seed mucilage as a new excipient for sustained delivery of Vildagliptin. Copolymeric carrier of A. vulgaris seed mucilage-co-AAm was devised by using acrylamide (AAm) as a monomer, methylene- bis-acrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker, and potassium persulfate (KPS) as an initiator through free radical polymerization. Different formulations of A. vulgaris-co-AAm were devised by varying contents of polymer, monomer, crosslinking agent, initiator, and reaction temperature. Copolymeric structures were characterized through XRD analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, TGA and DSC analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Porosity, gel fraction, and Vildagliptin loading capacity of copolymers were also established. Swelling and in vitro drug release studies were conducted. XRD evaluation showed the alteration of the crystalline structure of Vildagliptin into an amorphous form. FTIR analysis confirmed the successful grafting of AAm to A. vulgaris seed mucilage backbone. Porosity was increased with increasing polymer concentration and reaction temperature while it was decreased with an increasing amount of AAm, MBA, and KPS. Gel content was decreased with increasing polymer concentration and reaction temperature while it was increased with an increasing amount of AAm, MBA, and KPS. Acute oral toxicity of copolymeric network was done in animal models to evaluate the safety. Copolymers showed the same swelling behavior at all pH 1.2, 4.5, 6.8, and 7.4. Vildagliptin release from copolymer showed a cumulative trend by increasing polymer content and reaction temperature, while a declining trend was observed with increasing contents of monomer, crosslinking agent, and initiator. Sustained release of Vildagliptin was observed from copolymers and release followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. From the acute oral toxicity studies, it is evident that newly synthesized copolymeric carriers are potentially safe for eyes, skin, and vital organs. 1. Introduction Naturapolyceutics is based on interdisciplinary approaches that combine natural polymer and pharmaceutics for advancement in drug delivery design [1]. Since the primal epoch, plants frisked a vibrant character in human daily life from purposeful food to medication [2]. Plant-derivative excipients are constant applicants, which display a spirited part in pharmaceutical product development. Furthermore, the marvelous direction of formulation scientists towards the development of plant instigated excipient offerings a new edge to ascertain, extract, and refine such compounds. Plant polysaccharides, such as gums and mucilages, are com- monly used in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmetic industries. Moreover, seed coats of several plants extrude mucilage on potential connection with water [3]. This muci- lage comprises complex polysaccharides, which are plentiful with a high degree of biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to imitate the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) microenvironment. Due to their diverse nature, these Hindawi Advances in Polymer Technology Volume 2021, Article ID 6634780, 17 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6634780