Biopolymer-Based Hydrogel Beads with Enhanced Stability and pH/Ion-Responsive Controlled Release through a
Xiangxiang Lv1,2, Yue Huang3, Mengtao Hu1
1College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Biomacromolecules
|June 2, 2025
Summary
Transglutaminase cross-linking enhances gelatin/sodium alginate/carboxylated cellulose nanofibril hydrogel beads. This improves properties and enables precise control over the release of active substances like bovine serum albumin.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Composite biopolymer hydrogel beads are promising for controlled release applications.
- Gelatin (G), sodium alginate (SA), and carboxylated cellulose nanofibrils (cCNF) offer unique properties for hydrogel formulation.
- Optimizing cross-linking is crucial for tailoring hydrogel bead performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of transglutaminase (TG) cross-linking time on G-SA-cCNF hydrogel bead properties.
- To evaluate the structural, swelling, and controlled-release behaviors of the hydrogel beads.
- To assess the pH/ion-responsive characteristics and bioactive substance release.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of G-SA-cCNF hydrogel beads using a dual-cross-linking method with TG and calcium chloride (CaCl2).
- Systematic variation of TG cross-linking time.
- Characterization of hydrogel bead structure, swelling, mechanical properties, thermal stability, and controlled release of bovine serum albumin (BSA).
- Evaluation of responses in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids.
Main Results:
- TG cross-linking significantly improved hydrogel bead sphericity, water-holding capacity, texture, mechanical strength, and thermal stability.
- The hydrogel beads demonstrated distinct pH/ion-responsive swelling behavior, shrinking in simulated gastric fluid and expanding in simulated intestinal fluid.
- TG cross-linking created a denser network structure, facilitating controlled release of BSA.
- Precise regulation of release kinetics was achieved by adjusting TG cross-linking time.
Conclusions:
- Transglutaminase cross-linking is an effective strategy to enhance the performance of G-SA-cCNF composite hydrogel beads.
- The developed hydrogel beads exhibit tunable properties and responsive release profiles suitable for bioactive substance delivery.
- This study provides a foundation for designing advanced hydrogel-based delivery systems with tailored release characteristics.
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