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Optimised GelMA/Tragacanth gum hydrogel loaded with vanillic acid for biomedical applications
Atefeh Golshirazi1, Sheyda Labbaf2, Jaleh Varshosaz3
1Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran; Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
|April 28, 2025
Summary
A new GelMA/Tragacanth gum hybrid hydrogel enhances swelling and strength for biomedical uses. This injectable material offers sustained vanillic acid release, showing potential for drug delivery and wound healing applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Drug Delivery
Background:
- Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels are widely used in tissue engineering but often require modification to improve mechanical properties and drug release kinetics.
- Tragacanth gum is a natural polysaccharide with potential applications in drug delivery due to its biocompatibility and gelling properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize a novel hybrid hydrogel system combining GelMA and Tragacanth gum.
- To evaluate the impact of Tragacanth gum incorporation on the swelling, mechanical strength, and injectability of GelMA hydrogels.
- To investigate the drug loading and sustained release capabilities of the hybrid hydrogel using vanillic acid as a model drug.
Main Methods:
- UV crosslinking was employed to form the GelMA/Tragacanth gum hybrid hydrogel.
- Swelling ratio and compressive strength were measured to assess mechanical properties.
- Rheological and injectability tests were performed to determine suitability for biomedical applications.
- Drug loading efficiency and in vitro release kinetics of vanillic acid were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The incorporation of Tragacanth gum significantly increased hydrogel swelling (500 to 1200 times) and compressive strength (15 kPa to 49 kPa).
- Rheological and injectability studies confirmed the hybrid hydrogel's suitability for use as an injectable material.
- The hydrogel system demonstrated sustained release of vanillic acid, following the Korsmeyer-Peppas model with a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism.
Conclusions:
- The GelMA/Tragacanth gum hybrid hydrogel exhibits synergistic improvements in mechanical properties and swelling.
- The developed composite hydrogel is degradable, non-toxic, and suitable for controlled drug delivery and wound healing applications.
- This hybrid system holds significant promise for advanced biomedical applications requiring injectable and sustained-release materials.
