Combined gelatin-chondroitin sulfate hydrogels with graphene nanoparticles

Abstract

Creating flexible, high-strength hydrogels from harmless, low-cost natural polymers is an area of intense research today due to their potential applications in the biomedical field, which demands materials with ambivalent physicochemical features. In particular, great efforts were devoted to the preparation of sustainable biohydrogels, composed of hydrophilic networks of renewable, biocompatible, biodegradable and low-cost biopolymers. Bionanocomposites are a promising synthetic approach to combine specific multifunctional materials with targeted physicochemical properties. Novel bionanocomposite hydrogels were designed by combining both chondroitin sulfate (CS) as well as gelatin (GE) obtained from the waste generated by the fish industries to form double fibre networks with tailored properties. In addition, hybrid bionanocomposites were achieved by introducing graphene nanoparticles (xGnP) into the double fibrillar network (GE/CS) to enhance the physicochemical properties. The bionanocomposite nanostructures were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) whilst their rheological properties and thermal stability were determined by rheological and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), respectively.The likely interactions between CS and gelatin in the GE/CS hydrogel network were proved by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The incorporation of xGnP improved the mechanical properties of the GE/CS fibrillary network by an order of magnitude in the shear storage modulus.Eventually, the generated bionanocomposites hydrogels and bionanocomposite hybrid hydrogels have promising potential for applications in many biomedical fields, including drug delivery and tissue engineering by mimicking tissue extracellular matrix components such as the gelatin for collagen and the CS in the cartilage.

Characterization of Tuna Gelatin-Based Hydrogels as a Matrix for Drug Delivery

“…Similarly to other fish gelatins, the FTIR spectra of both gelatin and the gelatin hydrogel are characterized by the main amide bands, such as the Amide I band in the frequency range of 1640-1630 cm −1 , Amide II in the range of frequency of 1560-1540 cm −1 , and the band in the range of frequency of 1238-1244 cm −1 assigned to Amide III (Figure 4a and the second derivative method Figure 4b and Table S1) [23,[42][43][44][45].…”

“…Similarly to other fish gelatins, the FTIR spectra of both gelatin and the gelatin hydrogel are characterized by the main amide bands, such as the Amide I band in the frequency range of 1640-1630 cm −1 , Amide II in the range of frequency of 1560-1540 cm −1 , and the band in the range of frequency of 1238-1244 cm −1 assigned to Amide III (Figure 4a and the second derivative method Figure 4b and Table S1) [23,[42][43][44][45]. The bands centered at 1631 and 1634 cm −1 , particularly significant for the dry GE, can be ascribed to β segments [43,46] although they have also been associated with the hydroxyproline content in the collagen fibers as the 1628-1633 cm −1 region is characteristic of the absorption of imine carbonyls [47].…”

Ionogels Derived from Fluorinated Ionic Liquids to Enhance Aqueous Drug Solubility for Local Drug Administration

“…The design of responsive multifunctional drug delivery hydrogel systems relies on the balance among the inter-intramolecular forces and the phase behavior between the dispersed phase and the continuous phase. Recent of our previous works on gelatin hydrogels derived from waste fisheries have proved [ 11 , 38 , 39 , 40 ] to feature promising mechanical properties for drug storage and local administration, although higher drug uptake should be favoured to prolongate the therapeutic dosage and thus, minimise the adverse frequent administration. Likewise, the physical properties of the hydrogel network modification are aimed in the current work to enhance drug solubility while retaining the biocompatibility of the system as well as the desired responsive mechanical properties suited for both storage and drug administration.…”