Injectable and biocompatible chitosan-alginic acid hydrogels.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Injectable polysaccharide hydrogels are crucial for drug delivery and tissue engineering.
• Developing novel in situ forming hydrogels with enhanced biocompatibility is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel in situ forming hydrogels from chitosan and oxidized alginic acid.
• To evaluate the mechanical properties, cargo release, degradation, and cytocompatibility of the synthesized hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized dialdehyde alginic acid using sodium periodate oxidation.
• Formed hydrogels in situ via Schiff base reactions between chitosan and oxidized alginic acid.
• Assessed mechanical integrity, sustained release of rhodamine and bovine serum albumin, degradation by chitosanase, and H9c2 cell proliferation.

Main Results:

• The hydrogels exhibited good mechanical integrity, deforming under stress but maintaining shape at 40% strain.
• Sustained release of model drugs (rhodamine, bovine serum albumin) was observed.
• Hydrogels degraded within 30 days in a neutral pH environment and supported H9c2 cell proliferation while maintaining cell viability.

Conclusions:

• The developed chitosan-oxidized alginic acid hydrogels are injectable, biocompatible, and suitable for sustained cargo release.
• These hydrogels demonstrate potential as promising scaffolds for cell therapy and tissue engineering applications.