Synthesis and characterization of gelatin/lignin hydrogels as quick release drug carriers for Ribavirin

In this study, hydrogels based on gelatin and lignin were fabricated as efficient drug carriers for Ribavirin. The obtained hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), mechanical compression and rheometry. Results showed that the pore structure, viscoelastic behavior and swelling ability significantly influenced by varying lignin content and crosslinker ratio. By increasing the crosslinker N-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) content, the pore size became smaller, while increasing the lignin content resulted in larger pores. In addition, all hydrogels show strong shear thinning behavior. Ribavirin was used as a drug model, and its release rate was enhanced by increasing lignin content in the binary hydrogel structure. A higher Ribavirin cumulative release was observed for gelatin/lignin with higher lignin content (3 %) hydrogel. These findings emphasize the chemical composition on the structure and the release behavior of lignin-containing hydrogels.