Supramolecular Co-Assembled Fmoc-FRGDF/Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel for Quercetin Delivery: Multifunctional Bioactive
Xian-Ni Su1, Yu-Yang Wang1, Muhammed Fahad Khan1
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Prefabricated Seafood Processing and Quality Control, Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Innovation Center for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524008, China.
This study developed a novel nanocomposite hydrogel using a peptide and hyaluronic acid to effectively deliver quercetin. The new system enhances quercetin
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Food Science
Background:
- Traditional protein-based delivery systems struggle with bioactive compound stability during food processing and storage.
- Instability of bioactive compounds necessitates advanced delivery systems for enhanced efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize a nanocomposite hydrogel for quercetin delivery.
- To investigate the impact of quercetin co-assembly on hydrogel properties.
- To evaluate the encapsulation efficiency and controlled release kinetics of quercetin.
Main Methods:
- Co-assembly of self-assembling peptide (Fmoc-FRGDF) and hyaluronic acid (HA) to form a nanocomposite hydrogel.
- Systematic investigation of hydrogel stability as a quercetin (Que) delivery carrier.
- Characterization of microstructural evolution, physicochemical properties, encapsulation efficiency, and release kinetics.
Main Results:
- Hyaluronic acid modulated hydrogel's storage modulus and significantly slowed degradation rates.
- Quercetin enhanced the hydrogel's storage modulus, indicating improved structural integrity.
- Co-assembly involved hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, and hydrophobic interactions, strengthening beta-sheet structure and supramolecular ordering; Que release followed Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetics.
Conclusions:
- The Fmoc-FRGDF/HA hydrogel system is a superior delivery vehicle for quercetin, maintaining its bioactivity.
- This peptide-polysaccharide-polyphenol ternary complex offers a multifunctional platform for bioactive agent encapsulation and controlled release.
- Polyphenol incorporation positively impacts rheological properties, microstructure, and supramolecular organization.
