UV-mediated synthesis of salecan and sodium alginate-based double network hydrogel for cellular and...

Polysaccharide-based hydrogels are promising biomaterials due to their good biocompatibility and ability to mimic natural extracellular matrices. Salecan is a new type of salt-tolerant strain fermented polysaccharide with excellent physicochemical and biological properties. Here, an advanced double network hydrogel based on salecan and sodium alginate was prepared by UV-initiated polymerization and ionic crosslinking methods. The structural stability of hydrogel was maintained mainly by the dynamic non-covalent interactions including the coordinate bonds between molybdenum ions and the functional groups of polysaccharides and the multiple hydrogen bonds among the first and second networks. The storage modulus thus kept at a high level throughout the whole frequency region, and the hydrogel also exhibited high compressive modulus and fracture strain. Surprisingly, the moderate water uptake and interconnected porous microstructure of double network hydrogel provided an ideal environment for cell culture. The results of cellular response analysis, including cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, and Live/Dead assay, showed that the hydrogel had excellent cytocompatibility. The cell density could be well regulated by the pore size and size distribution. In vivo H&E staining result indicated that the implanted hydrogel did not trigger hemolytic reactions or organ toxicity and exhibited favorable histocompatibility. The result of degradation experiment demonstrated that the hydrogel was stable during long-term use. The controllable hydrogel degradation and its subsequent separation from cells and tissues had no adverse impacts. In summary, the present study opened up a new path for the design and synthesis of polysaccharide-based hydrogel with great potential for cellular and histocompatibility research.