Multifunctional phenylboric acid modified carboxymethyl chitosan based hydrogel crosslinked by tannic acid

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Engineering

Background:

• Chitosan-based hydrogels are significant due to their properties.
• Developing novel crosslinking and preparation methods is crucial.
• This study focuses on creating advanced chitosan hydrogels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare multifunctional chitosan-based (CBT) hydrogels.
• To investigate their physicochemical properties and biomedical potential.
• To explore novel crosslinking strategies for polysaccharide hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized hydrogels via double crosslinking of modified carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and tannic acid (TA) using borate ester and hydrogen bonds.
• Evaluated physicochemical properties including injectability, plasticity, self-healing, swelling, and mechanical strength (0.31 MPa).
• Assessed biological functions such as hemostasis, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial efficacy against S. aureus and E. coli.

Main Results:

• Rapid gelation (1 min) under physiological conditions.
• Excellent physicochemical properties: injectability, plasticity, self-healing, swelling, biodegradability, and viscoelasticity.
• Significant hemostatic, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties (up to 85% against S. aureus, 48% against E. coli).
• Successful loading and glucose-sensitive release of curcumin via borate ester bonds.
• Positive preliminary in vivo results for biosafety and degradability.

Conclusions:

• Developed multifunctional chitosan-based hydrogels with dual crosslinking.
• Demonstrated promising physicochemical and biomedical properties for wound repair and drug delivery.
• This work offers a new strategy for designing advanced polysaccharide-based hydrogels.