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Wood-Derived Hydrogels as a Platform for Drug-Release Systems
Mario Culebras1, Anthony Barrett1, Mahboubeh Pishnamazi2
1Stokes Laboratories, School of Engineering, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Plassy Technological Park, Limerick V94 T9PX, Ireland.
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
|July 26, 2021
Summary
Wood-based hydrogels incorporating lignin show potential for drug delivery. Lignin improves drug release and material properties, offering a sustainable platform for pharmaceutical applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Hydrogels are widely used in drug delivery systems.
- Developing sustainable and functional hydrogels from natural resources is a key research area.
- Lignin, a byproduct of the paper industry, is an abundant biopolymer with tunable properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize wood-based hydrogels for drug release applications.
- To investigate the effect of lignin molecular structure on hydrogel properties.
- To evaluate the drug release performance of lignin-containing hydrogels.
Main Methods:
- Wood-based hydrogels were synthesized using cellulose and varying lignin types.
- Freeze-drying was employed to create porous hydrogel architectures.
- Swelling, mechanical properties (compressive modulus), and pore size were characterized.
- Paracetamol release studies were conducted to assess drug delivery performance.
Main Results:
- Highly porous hydrogels with pore sizes of 100-160 μm were successfully produced.
- Organosolv-type lignin incorporation optimized swelling and mechanical properties, yielding a compressive modulus of ~11 kPa.
- Lignin presence enhanced paracetamol release by 50% compared to pure cellulose hydrogels.
- Reduced molecular interactions between paracetamol and cellulose were observed in lignin-containing hydrogels.
Conclusions:
- Wood-derived hydrogels, particularly those incorporating organosolv lignin, are promising platforms for drug delivery.
- Lignin's unique properties can be leveraged to tune hydrogel performance for enhanced drug release.
- This study highlights the potential of lignin valorization in developing advanced biomaterials for pharmaceutical applications.
