The polysaccharide tragacanth gum (TG) is generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration and it has been used as folk medicine in various gastrointestinal problems and has good adhesive property. In the present work attempt has been made to explore its potential in designing amoxicillin loaded slow delivery system for GIT infections based on galacturonic acid/arabinogalactan crosslinked poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-co-poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) polymers. These mucoadhesive polymer networks have been prepared by using poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) Poly(AMPSA). These polymers have been characterized by SEMs, FTIR, C-13 NMR, XRD, TGA/DTA/DTG, DSC and swelling studies. Different kinetic models (i.e. zero order, first order, Higuchi square root law, Korsmeyer-Peppas model and Hixson-Crowell cube root) have been applied for drug release profile. The mechanical, biocompatible and mucoadhesive properties of polymers have also been determined. The polymer network parameters such as polymer volume fraction in the swollen state, Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, molecular weight of polymer chain between two cross-links, crosslink density and mesh size have been evaluated. Both, mesh size and molecular weight of the polymer chain between two neighboring cross links of hydrogels decreased with increase in crosslinker concentration. The drug release occurred through non-Fickian diffusion mechanism and release profile best fitted in the Higuchi square root model. The polymers have been observed as non-thrombogenic and mucoadhesive in nature and may be used in slow drug delivery applications to GIT. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.