Enhanced hexanoyl glycol chitosan/tannic acid thermogels: Customizable physico-mechanical and biofunctional characteristics for biomedical applications

Abstract

This study introduces HGC/TA thermogels, innovative thermosensitive hydrogels developed by integrating tannic acid (TA), a natural polyphenolic compound, into hexanoyl glycol chitosan (HGC). This unique formulation not only enhances the mechanical strength of the thermogels but also incorporates the beneficial physicochemical and biological properties of TA. Compared to conventional thermogels, including pure HGC variants, HGC/TA thermogels demonstrate significantly enhanced storage modulus and compressive strength, remarkable self-healing abilities, increased mucoadhesion, improved stability, and tunable degradation rates, all while being minimally cytotoxic. Moreover, these thermogels exhibit notable antioxidant properties, effectively counteracting free radicals, and display significant antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-positive S. aureus. The ability to tailor the physico-mechanical and biological functions of HGC/TA thermogels by varying the TA concentration makes them highly versatile, marking them as ideal for diverse biomedical applications, particularly in wound care and tissue engineering.