Hydrogel Membranes from Chitosan-Fish Gelatin-Glycerol for Biomedical Applications: Chondroitin Sulfate Incorporation Effect in Membrane Properties

Andreas Karydis-Messinis; Dimitrios Moschovas; Maria Markou; Kyriaki Tsirka; Christina Gioti; Eleni Bagli; Carol Murphy; Aris E Giannakas; Alkis Paipetis; Michael A Karakassides; Apostolos Avgeropoulos; Constantinos E Salmas; Nikolaos E Zafeiropoulos

doi:10.3390/gels9110844

Hydrogel Membranes from Chitosan-Fish Gelatin-Glycerol for Biomedical Applications: Chondroitin Sulfate Incorporation Effect in Membrane Properties

Gels. 2023 Oct 25;9(11):844. doi: 10.3390/gels9110844.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
² Biomedical Research Institute (BRI)-FORTH, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
³ Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Patras, 30100 Agrinio, Greece.

Abstract

Chondroitin sulfate (ChS), chitosan (Chi), and fish gelatin (FG), which are byproducts of a fish-treatment small enterprise, were incorporated with glycerol (Gly) to obtain dense hydrogel membranes with reduced brittleness, candidates for dressing in wound healing applications. The mechanical properties of all samples were studied via Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and tensile tests while their internal structure was characterized using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) instruments. Their surface morphology was analyzed by ThermoGravimetric Analysis (TGA) method, while their water permeability was estimated via Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) measurements. Wettability and degradation rate measurements were also carried out. Characterization results indicated that secondary interactions between the natural polymers and the plasticizer create the hydrogel membranes. The samples were amorphous due to the high concentration of plasticizer and the amorphous nature of the natural polymers. The integration of ChS led to decreased decomposition temperature in comparison with the glycerol-free sample, and all the materials had dense structures. Finally, the in vitro endothelial cell attachment studies indicate that the hydrogel membranes successfully support the attachment and survival of primary on the hydrogel membranes and could be appropriate for external application in wound healing applications as dressings.

Keywords: biomaterials; biomedical applications; chitosan; chondroitin sulfate; fish gelatin; gelatin glycerol; hydrogel membranes; in vitro cell colonization; membranes; wound dressing.

Grants and funding

This research was co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund—ESF) through the Operational Programme “Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning” in the context of the project “Strengthening Human Resources Research Potential via Doctorate Research” (MIS-5000432), implemented by the State Scholarships Foundation (IJT).