Engineered bio-derived sodium alginate@GO-Ag hydrogel: Insights into mechanical integrity, antimicrobial potential...

This study investigates the development and characterization of Sodium Alginate@GO-Ag composite hydrogel, evaluating its potential for biomedical applications through rheological, antimicrobial, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assessments. The rheological properties of the Sodium Alginate@GO-Ag hydrogel were analyzed to understand its structural stability, viscoelasticity, and mechanical strength, which are essential for its application as a biomaterial. The synthesized Sodium Alginate@GO-Ag hydrogels exhibited remarkable mechanical strength, characterized by a linear viscoelastic region (LVER) spanning from around 0.01 to 5.28 %. The flow behavior index (n), which indicates the degree of shear-thinning, ranges from 0.03879 to 0.35737 across the samples. All values are <1, confirming pseudoplastic behavior. Essential rheological parameters, including critical strain, yield strain, and crossover points were evaluated, offering a detailed insight into the hydrogel's stability and functional performance. They also displayed potent antimicrobial efficacy against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with inhibition zones (ZOIs) up to 39 mm. The in vitro toxicity evaluation of Sodium Alginate@GO-Ag using zebrafish embryos demonstrates a relatively low toxicological impact, highlighting its potential biocompatibility. It exhibits the lower overall genotoxicity. Although it causes significant DNA damage initially, its impact seems to lessen over time, and apoptosis levels remain moderate.