Biomedical Frontiers with PVA-chitosan/lignin@CdZnO multifunctional hydrogel.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Materials Chemistry

Background:

• Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials with applications in medicine.
• Nanoparticle integration enhances hydrogel functionality.
• Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), chitosan, and lignin offer unique properties for biomaterial development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel nanoparticle-based hydrogel for biomedical applications.
• To evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant, wound healing, and anticancer potential of the developed hydrogel.
• To confirm the composition and structural integrity of the synthesized hydrogel.

Main Methods:

• Hydrogel synthesis using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), chitosan, and lignin-mediated nanocomposites.
• Characterization via UV-visible spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and XRD.
• In vitro antibacterial assays against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli.
• In vitro antioxidant assays (DPPH radical scavenging) and reducing power assays.
• In vivo wound healing studies on a rat model.
• In vitro anticancer efficacy assessment against MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines.

Main Results:

• The PVA-chitosan/lignin@CdZnO hydrogel demonstrated superior bactericidal activity against tested bacterial strains.
• Antioxidant assays revealed significant DPPH radical scavenging activity (89%) and reducing power.
• In vivo studies showed accelerated wound closure (91% in 10 days) compared to the control group.
• The hydrogel exhibited 50% anticancer efficacy against MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
• Material characterization confirmed the successful synthesis and structural integrity of the nanocomposite hydrogel.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized PVA-CS/L@CdZnO hydrogel possesses multifunctional biomedical properties.
• This hydrogel is a promising candidate for antibacterial, antioxidant, wound healing, and anticancer therapies.
• The findings highlight the potential of lignin-mediated nanocomposites in advanced biomaterial design.