Retaining a drug in the stomach by some means is sometimes necessary to extend the G1 absorption time of the drug more than 6-8 hrs. Hydrogel has often been examined for its feasibility as a dosage form, so called platform, that could be retained in the stomach due to its excellent swelling properties in the gastric fluid. In this study, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) hydrogel crosslinked by albumin or acrylated albumin was synthesized in a tablet form and evaluated for its possibility as the platform. The synthesis of the hydrogel was performed by $^{60}Co;{gamma}-ray$ irradiation of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (monomer) in the presence of a crosslinking agent: aqueous solution of albumin or acrylated albumin. Synthetic conditions such as radiation dose, dose rate and concentration of crosslinking agent were varied in order to optimize the swelling and mechanical properties of the hydrogels. Degree of swelling of albumin-crosslinked PVP (Al-PVP) was highly dependent on radiation dose, dose rate and albumin concentration: it was decreased as they increased. On the other hand, that of acrylated albumin-crosslinked PVP (Acryl-PVP) was almost independent on them except dose rate: it was decreased as the radiation dose rate increased. The compressive strength of the two hydrogels was decreased as the dose rate increased. Digestion of both PVP in artificial gastric fluid containing pepsin was delayed by the ${gamma}-ray$ irradiation. In conclusion, Al-PVP and Acry-PVP with diverse swelling and mechanical properties could be obtained by controlling synthetic conditions, mainly the irradiation dose rate.