pH-responsive hybrid hydrogels: Chondroitin sulfate/casein trapped silica nanospheres for controlled drug release

In this study, the materials were synthesized by chemically crosslinking chondroitin sulfate (CS), casein (CAS), and silica nanospheres (SiO₂), creating a highly crosslinked network. The hydrogel release profile was adaptable (that is, it could be faster or slower as needed) simply by changing the polymeric proportion. The incorporation of 5% of silica nanospheres, in mass, for all CAS/CS matrices promoted a better-controlled and sustained release of l-dopa, focusing on the matrix based on 70% of CAS, 30% of CS and 5% of silica, whose l-dopa release lasted for 87 h. Besides, hydrogels are cytocompatible. These new hydrogels can be considered highly attractive materials to be used for controlled and sustained drug release purposes, as well as scaffolds and wound dressing systems.