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Aflatoxins are natural mycotoxins that mainly occur in areas with humid climates. One of the methods for the successful elimination of aflatoxins is gamma radiation treatment. In this paper, gamma radiation's influence on the content of aflatoxins in hemp flour and microbiological properties (total number of microorganisms, molds, and potentially pathogenic bacteria) and nutritional values were investigated. The artificial radioactive isotope of cobalt Co‐60, with a dose rate of 10 kGy/hr, was used as the radiation source. Using high‐performance liquid chromatography, we determined that a dose of 4 kGy was sufficient to eliminate aflatoxins below the acceptable value. An irradiation dose of 8 kGy was sufficient to eliminate the total number of microorganisms and molds. Also, a treatment of 3 kGy is enough to remove all bacteria. Finally, it was shown that gamma irradiation does not affect the nutritional value of the product. Novelty Impact Statement Hemp flour is rich in healthy fats, magnesium, fiber, and protein. However, it may be contaminated with aflatoxins, microorganisms, molds, and potentially pathogenic bacteria. Gamma irradiation is an effective method of food preservation that guarantees food decontamination and protection of nutrients. In this paper, an adequate dose of gamma radiation to preserve hemp flour has been established.

Composite hydrogels capable of controlled drug delivery via ion exchange are an interesting group of materials for the construction of implantable drug reservoirs for electrically charged drugs. In this study, we synthesized composite poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide)/poly(acrylic acid) (PLGA-PAA) hydrogels by sequential application of UV or gamma irradiation and traditional phase inversion. Physicochemical properties of the composite PLGA-PAA hydrogels were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). We examined the ion exchange capacity (IEC) and swelling behavior of these materials to determine their potential as drug reservoirs.Composite PLGA-PAA hydrogel synthesized using UV irradiation (UV-PLGA-PAA) exhibited a porous microstructure with submicron-sized hydrogel-rich aggregates and homogeneous chemical composition. Swelling behavior and IEC of this material were highly reproducible. Composite PLGA-PAA hydrogels synthesized using gamma irradiation (G-PLGA-PAAs) had a less uniform microstructure with larger pores and micron-sized hydrogel-rich aggregates while exhibiting rather inhomogeneous chemical composition. These materials showed superior swelling properties, but a more variable IEC, compared to the material fabricated using UV irradiation. Results of DSC analysis showed a dose-dependent decrease in glass transition temperature for G-PLGA-PAAs indicating the effects of PLGA chain scission.Our findings indicate that gamma irradiation is a possible alternative to UV irradiation in the synthesis of composite PLGA-PAA hydrogels which can modify or control important material properties. However, the synthesis protocol using gamma irradiation should be further optimized to improve the IEC reproducibility. In our future research, we will investigate the in vitro release of charged drugs from synthesized composite PLGA-PAA hydrogels under physiological conditions.