Ultrastable Supramolecular Hydrogel of Hydrophobic Peptides Prepared by a Hydrolysis Process.

Abstract

The application of a peptide-based supramolecular hydrogel in the field of bioactive materials is limited by its poor stability in extreme environments. Increasing the number of hydrophobic amino acids in the peptides may enhance the stability of the hydrogel, but an organic solvent is always required to dissolve peptides because of its strong hydrophobic properties. In this study, we linked hydrophilic amino acids to super hydrophobic peptides using a self-hydrolyzed ester bond as a linker to enhance its solubility in water, which resulted in two highly potent peptide hydrogels. The hydrogels showed excellent stability in highly acidic, highly basic and saturated salt solutions for 15 days. This system may be particularly useful in designing a robust drug release system that can maintain a constant release rate for days and against abrupt changes in the environment.