Fast-Swelling Tamarind Xyloglucan/PVA Hydrogels with Interconnected Macroporous Structures for Biomedical...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Tamarind xyloglucan (XG) is abundant and non-toxic but has poor mechanical properties.
• Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a versatile polymer with good film-forming properties.
• Developing novel hydrogels with improved properties is crucial for advanced biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize fast-swelling hydrogels using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and tamarind xyloglucan (XG).
• To investigate the effect of XG incorporation and citric acid (CA) crosslinking on hydrogel structure, swelling, porosity, and mechanical properties.
• To evaluate the suitability of these hydrogels for biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Hydrogels were synthesized by mixing PVA and XG, followed by crosslinking with citric acid (CA).
• Freeze-drying was employed to create an interconnected macroporous structure.
• Swelling ratio, porosity, compression resistance, and gel fraction were measured to characterize the hydrogels.

Main Results:

• The addition of 25% XG significantly improved the swelling ratio (533.33%) and porosity (66.49%) compared to crosslinked PVA alone.
• While XG reduced structural order and compression resistance, CA crosslinking enhanced mechanical strength.
• All hydrogels exhibited rapid swelling, reaching equilibrium within 10 seconds due to their macroporous structure.

Conclusions:

• The developed PVA/XG hydrogels are non-cytotoxic and possess excellent swelling properties.
• The interconnected macroporous structure facilitates rapid water uptake via capillary action.
• These fast-swelling, non-cytotoxic hydrogels show significant promise for drug delivery, wound dressings, and hygienic products.