Chitosan-based Hydrogel Research Articles

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are chronic, hard-to-heal wounds requiring dressings that can address infection, oxidative stress, and impaired tissue regeneration simultaneously. This study aimed to develop chitosan-based thermoresponsive hydrogels co-loaded with repaglinide (Ripa) and difluorinated curcumin (dfCur) and evaluate their physicochemical properties, antibacterial activity, and cytocompatibility. Hydrogels were synthesized using chitosan and β-glycerophosphate, loaded with Ripa (3% w/v), dfCur (1% w/v), or both. Morphology, chemistry, swelling, porosity, degradation, and drug release were characterized using FESEM, ATR-FTIR, gravimetric methods, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Cytocompatibility was assessed via MTT assay with NIH3T3 fibroblasts, and antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with p < 0.05 considered significant. Dual-drug hydrogels exhibited the highest swelling capacity (~ 115%) and fastest degradation (46-48% mass retained at day 28), with sustained release of both drugs over 7days. Fibroblast viability was significantly enhanced for dual-drug hydrogels (128.4 ± 3.2%, p < 0.001 vs. control), and antibacterial activity was strongest in dfCur-containing formulations, showing inhibition zones of 21.6 ± 1.4mm for S. aureus and 19.3 ± 1.2mm for E. coli. The co-loading of Ripa and dfCur into a thermoresponsive chitosan hydrogel produced a synergistic platform with enhanced biocompatibility, potent antibacterial effects, and controlled drug release. This multifunctional dressing shows promise for advanced DFU management and warrants further in vivo evaluation.

Carboxymethyl chitosan-based injectable hydrogel immobilizing single-atom nanozymes for localized ROS amplification and ferroptosis-enhanced postoperative oral cancer therapy

Clean water future: The role of chitosan hydrogel nanocomposites in wastewater management.

Stabilizing Nitric Oxide: MnFe2O4@Cap-SNO nanoparticles and Chitosan Hydrogels for Controlled Therapeutic Delivery.

Multifunctional nanocomposite chitosan-based hydrogel promotes healing of infected wounds through sustained release of Zn2+ and nicotinamide mononucleotide.

One-pot synthesis of silver-based chitosan macromolecular hydrogels and its antimicrobial activity.

Chitosan-based hydrogels hold promise as drug delivery systems for cancer therapy, but the poor mechanical properties often limit the biological application, requiring chemical cross-linking to improve sustained drug release. Besides, the addition of stimulus-responsiveness to chitosan requires chemical modifications that can further affect the gel properties. To overcome these challenges, in this work, a novel chitosan/alginate polyelectrolyte magnetic gel with tunable mechanical properties is developed by pH-triggered self-assembly. The gels could be prepared by a slow/fast pH decrease and blended with magnetic nanoparticles. Manganese-doped ferrite nanoparticles (∼10 nm) with suitable magnetic properties (>70 Am2/kg) and high magnetic hyperthermia heating efficiency (ILP > 3 nHm2/kg) were synthesized via an amino acid-assisted oxidative hydrothermal method. The nanoparticles and self-assembly conditions of the polyelectrolyte complex enabled the tuning of the gels' properties, a fast gelation, and suitable mechanical properties for drug delivery. Notably, gels with a large storage modulus (up to 10 kPa) could be prepared at a low polymer concentration (≤2 wt %). The magnetic gels enabled the sustained release of a hydrophilic chemotherapeutic drug model, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), under mimetic physiological conditions, outperforming the hydrogels. Moreover, the drug release kinetics was synergistically enhanced under the combined effect of acidic conditions and magnetic hyperthermia. Hence, the developed self-assembled chitosan/alginate magnetic gel showed promising multifunctionality, combining tunable mechanical properties, magnetic hyperthermia capability, and sustained drug release. These features highlight the self-assembled chitosan/alginate magnetic gels as promising and versatile materials for localized and controlled drug delivery.

Chitosan based hydrogels as temporary implants for breast cancer postsurgical treatment and site-infections prophylaxis.

Chitosan-based hydrogels are used in the adsorption of pharmaceutical compounds from water. The adsorption process of diclofenac and naproxen on chitosan hydrogels cross-linked with glutaraldehyde has been studied theoretically and experimentally. According to the thermodynamic properties, the adsorption processes were spontaneous and endothermic, due to the negative values of Gibbs free energy, and the enthalpies of formation were positive. Furthermore, the different systems were studied by electrostatic potential maps, where the functional groups (amino and hydroxyl) represented the active sites of the hydrogel. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained for diclofenac and naproxen was 108.85 and 97.22 mg/g, respectively, at a temperature of 308.15 K. On the other hand, the adsorbent was characterized by FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) and XRD (X-ray Diffraction) before and after the adsorption of the drugs to confirm the binding of the adsorbates on the surface of the material.

Hydrogel films of chitosan and eucalyptus oil enhance wound healing in rats

Alkali burn of corneas can induce corneal stromal fibrosis and limbal stem cell deficiency, which destroys corneal epithelial homeostasis, leading to scarring and impaired vision. Although stem cell therapy has shown potential therapeutic contributions to corneal injuries, it still faces the challenges of difficult retention and low survival rates due to the limitations of corneal curvature and an abnormal microenvironment. In this work, a 4D-printed chitosan-based hydrogel (4D-CTH) was prepared to load limbal stem cells (LSCs) for the regulation of epithelial microenvironment homeostasis and the repair of alkali-burned corneas. 4D-CTH, which has good biocompatibility and a regular spatial structure, was proven to be a candidate for use as a tissue engineering carrier that supplies highly active LSCs to a cornea injured by alkali. Both in vitro and in vivo studies confirmed that treatment with 4D-CTH + LSCs can provide more efficient corneal repair for alkali burn injuries compared to epidermal growth factor, which is the traditional treatment method for treating burned corneas. Based on single-cell sequencing analysis, 4D-CTH can markedly increase the proportion of LSCs in corneal tissue by promoting the residence and growth of LSCs. Additionally, 4D-CTH loaded with LSCs can inhibit and reverse corneal fibrosis by interfering with fibroblast differentiation, which is closely related to the down-regulation of cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIc expression by LSCs, thereby inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation in fibroblasts. In conclusion, this work not only confirmed the feasibility of 4D-CTH + LSCs for the treatment of corneas burned by alkali but also clarified the regulation mechanism of corneal epithelial homeostasis by 4D-CTH + LSCs, providing theoretical support and an application paradigm for corneal tissue engineering therapy.

The synergistic enhancement of adsorption for Pb2+ and organic dyes by a chitosan-based hydrogel as a multipollutant adsorbent

Design and synthesis of α-cyclodextrin/carboxymethyl chitosan-based hydrogel for multipollutant adsorption

A thermally sensitive and antibacterial multifunctional chitosan-based hydrogel that accelerates wound healing by recruiting macrophages and regulating cytokines and cytokeratin

Fabrication of pH-responsive chitosan-based hydrogel beads via electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly for visual monitoring of pork freshness

Fungal-derived chitosan-based hydrogels with antimicrobial properties for infectious wound healing.

Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC)-based hydrogels have emerged as promising candidates for wound dressing applications due to their excellent biocompatibility and tunable physicochemical properties. In this study, a novel hydrogel functionalized with hyaluronic acid (HA) and RGD peptides (RGD) was fabricated and evaluated for its structural characteristics and wound-healing potential. Using CMC as the base matrix and EDC/NHS as crosslinking agents, four hydrogel variants were fabricated: CMC gel, CMC-HA gel, CMC-RGD gel, and CMC-HA-RGD gel. The preliminary cell compatibility experiment identified the optimal formulation as 1% CMC, 0.9% HA, and 0.02 mg/mL RGD, crosslinked with 1 vol% EDC and 0.05 wt% NHS. Scanning electron microscopy showed a porous architecture (100–400 μm), conducive to fibroblast viability and proliferation. Zeta potential measurements (|ζ| > 30 mV) indicated colloidal stability of the hydrogel system. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed successful crosslinking and integration of HA and RGD via hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, forming a stable three-dimensional network. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed enhanced thermal stability upon HA/RGD incorporation. CCK-8 assays demonstrated significantly improved cell viability with HA/RGD loading (p < 0.05), while Ki-67 immunofluorescence confirmed enhanced fibroblast proliferation, with the CMC-HA-RGD gel showing the most pronounced effect. In vitro scratch assay results demonstrated that the CMC-HA-RGD hydrogel dressing significantly enhanced cellular migration compared to other carboxymethyl chitosan-based hydrogel groups (p < 0.05). The observed statistically significant improvement in cell migration rate versus controls underscores the distinctive enhancement of synergistic HA and RGD modification in accelerating cellular migration and facilitating wound repair. Collectively, these findings suggest that the CMC-HA-RGD hydrogel possesses favorable physicochemical and biological properties and holds strong potential as an advanced wound dressing for the treatment of chronic and refractory wounds.

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) has many advantageous physicochemicalcharacteristics, including high mechanical strength, high porosity,excellent water adsorption, and biocompatibility, making it a promisingoption for a wide range of biomedical applications. However, the limitedbiodegradability of BNC within the human body could reduce its utilityin this field. In the present study, we investigated the in vitrobiodegradability of a BNC composite of bacterial nanocellulose–chitosan–alginate–gelatin(BNC–CS–AG–GT). This BNC–CS–AG–GThydrogel scaffold was shown to be gradually degraded during immersionin simulated body fluid (SBF) with the addition of lysozyme. Furthermore,the compressive strength of the BNC–CS–AG–GThydrogel slowly decreased in correlation with incubation time: by8 weeks of incubation in SBF, the compressive strength was reducedfrom ∼68 to ∼25 MPa, coupled with a 54% weight reduction.In cell culture, the BNC–CS–AG–GT scaffold wasnoncytotoxic. Cultivation of osteogenic MC3T3-E1 cells in osteogenicmedium within a BNC–CS–AG–GT hydrogel for 4 weeksshowed that the BNC–CS–AG–GT hydrogel supportscell adhesion and cell proliferation and promotes alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity and mineralization in vitro. Moreover, BNC–CS–AG–GTexhibited strong antibacterial properties. The favorable biodegradability,mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and antibacterial activityof the BNC–CS–AG–GT hydrogel scaffold indicatethat it has potential as a promising candidate for applications inbone tissue engineering. However, although these findings suggestthat BNC–CS–AG–GT hydrogels have osteogenic potentialin vitro, future additional studies in vivo and extended osteogenicdifferentiation assays are required to confirm the efficacy of BNC–CS–AG–GTscaffolds under physiological load conditions.

Chitosan-based hydrogel film incorporated with Citrus limon (lemon) essential oil as a potential burn wound dressing: Synthesis, physico-chemical, and antimicrobial evaluation.

In this study, the effect of cationic participation on the swelling behavior and pH-responsive release characteristics of polyelectrolyte hydrogel based on gelatin (Gel), sodium alginate (Alg), and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) was explored. The shell–core morphology of the cationic coordination hydrogels was prepared by introducing Na+, Ca2+, and Fe3+ into the crosslinking system, which significantly altered the inherent pH-responsive swelling properties of Gel/Alg-CMCS hydrogel. The modified hydrogel demonstrated a release resistance of carvacrol (CAR) under acidic conditions while facilitating rapid release under neutral conditions. Notably, the CAR release profile was substantially modified by the distinct anti-swelling properties of cationic coordination hydrogels. In particular, Gel/Alg-CMCS-Fe3+ hydrogel exhibited high accumulative release of 58.34% at pH 1.0 while maintaining a minimal release degree of merely 7% in weakly acidic and neutral environments. These intriguing findings provide valuable insights into intelligent active delivery for future applications.