Abstract
AbstractHyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring mucopolysaccharide. It is an important component of the intercellular matrix. It controls the permeability of tissues by means of the highly entangled network which can be formed because of its high molecular weight. To be able to use hyaluronic acid for several biomedical applications it is necessary to have an understanding of its swelling properties. Equilibrium swelling properties of hyaluronic acid gels were investigated by varying the temperature, pH, ionic strength, and composition of the surrounding solution. Swelling was found to depend on pH and ionic strength and to be reversible. The gel was highly swollen at high pH, but it shrank continuously as the pH was lowered to 10% of its maximum volume. The gel was comparatively insensitive to temperature. Drying affected the swelling capacity of the gel significantly. Gel swelling was also affected by a high concentration of acetone or propyl alcohol in the aqueous swelling solutions.
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