Preparation and characterization of propolis reinforced eggshell membrane/ GelMA composite hydrogel for biomedical applications

Nahideh Asadi; Hadi Sadeghzadeh; Azizeh Rahmani Del Bakhshayesh; Amir Nezami Asl; Mehdi Dadashpour; Negar Karimi Hajishoreh; Sharif Kaamyabi; Abolfazl Akbarzadeh

doi:10.1186/s12896-023-00788-4

Preparation and characterization of propolis reinforced eggshell membrane/ GelMA composite hydrogel for biomedical applications

BMC Biotechnol. 2023 Jul 11;23(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s12896-023-00788-4.

Authors

Nahideh Asadi^#¹, Hadi Sadeghzadeh^#², Azizeh Rahmani Del Bakhshayesh², Amir Nezami Asl³, Mehdi Dadashpour⁴, Negar Karimi Hajishoreh³, Sharif Kaamyabi⁵, Abolfazl Akbarzadeh⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
² Department of Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
³ Health Research Center, Chamran Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.
⁶ Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. dr.akbarzadeh2010@gmail.com.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Gelatin methacrylate-based hydrogels (GelMA) were widely used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, to manipulate their various chemical and physical properties and create high-efficiency hydrogels, different materials have been used in their structure. Eggshell membrane (ESM) and propolis are two nature-derived materials that could be used to improve the various characteristics of hydrogels, especially structural and biological properties. Hence, the main purpose of this study is the development of a new type of GelMA hydrogel containing ESM and propolis, for use in regenerative medicine. In this regard, in this study, after synthesizing GelMA, the fragmented ESM fibers were added to it and the GM/EMF hydrogel was made using a photoinitiator and visible light irradiation. Finally, GM/EMF/P hydrogels were prepared by incubating GM/EMF hydrogels in the propolis solution for 24 h. After various structural, chemical, and biological characterizations, it was found that the hydrogels obtained in this study offer improved morphological, hydrophilic, thermal, mechanical, and biological properties. The developed GM/EMF/P hydrogel presented more porosity with smaller and interconnected pores compared to the other hydrogels. GM/EMF hydrogels due to possessing EMF showed compressive strength up to 25.95 ± 1.69 KPa, which is more than the compressive strength provided by GM hydrogels (24.550 ± 4.3 KPa). Also, GM/EMF/P hydrogel offered the best compressive strength (44.65 ± 3.48) due to the presence of both EMF and propolis. GM scaffold with a contact angle of about 65.41 ± 2.199 θ showed more hydrophobicity compared to GM/EMF (28.67 ± 1.58 θ), and GM/EMF/P (26.24 ± 0.73 θ) hydrogels. Also, the higher swelling percentage of GM/EMF/P hydrogels (343.197 ± 42.79) indicated the high capacity of this hydrogel to retain more water than other scaffolds. Regarding the biocompatibility of the fabricated structures, MTT assay results showed that GM/EMF/P hydrogel significantly (p-value < 0.05) supported cell viability. Based on the results, it seems that GM/EMF/P hydrogel could be a promising biomaterial candidate for use in various fields of regenerative medicine.

Keywords: Eggshell membrane; GelMA hydrogel; Propolis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Ascomycota*
Biocompatible Materials
Egg Shell
Hydrogels
Propolis*

Substances

Hydrogels
Propolis
Biocompatible Materials