Herrera-Alonso Alejandra E, Rodríguez-Chávez Daniela F, Toxqui-Terán Alberto, Rubio-Valle José F, Martín-Alfonso José E, Longoria-García Samuel, Gallardo-Blanco Hugo L, Sánchez-Domínguez Celia N, Sánchez-Domínguez Margarita
Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados, S.C. (CIMAV), Unidad Monterrey, Alianza Norte 202, Parque de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, Ciudad Apodaca 66628, Mexico.
Pro2TecS-Chemical Process and Product Technology Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Universidad de Huelva, ETSI, Campus de "El Carmen", 21071 Huelva, Spain.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 May 14;17(10):1335. doi: 10.3390/polym17101335.
pH-sensitive hydrogels are important soft biomaterials as they mimic biological organisms by altering their properties in response to small pH changes in biological fluids. In this work, novel chitosan (Cs) hydrogels were developed using an innovative dual curcumin (Cur) encapsulation system. Cur was loaded into poloxamer 407 micelles and incorporated into citric acid (CA) cross-linked Cs hydrogels using a central composite design. The hydrogels were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheological tests, and in vitro experiments, such as hemolysis and cytotoxicity assays. FTIR confirmed cross-linking between Cs and CA, while DSC suggested interactions between Cur-loaded micelles and the hydrogel matrix. Rheological analysis revealed gel-like behavior, with G' consistently higher than G, and temperature influenced hydrogel properties. SEM showed a denser network when Cur-loaded micelles were incorporated, slowing Cur release. At physiological pH (7.4), 75% of Cur was released after 7 days, while 84% was released at pH 5.5, showing pH-responsive behavior. Cytotoxicity tests showed over 80% viability of VERO CCL-81 cells (0.2-20 ppm hydrogel). This dual-encapsulation system provides a simple and effective platform for loading lipophilic drugs into pH-responsive hydrogels.
pH敏感水凝胶是重要的软生物材料，因为它们通过响应生物流体中微小的pH变化改变自身性质来模拟生物有机体。在这项工作中，使用创新的双姜黄素（Cur）包封系统开发了新型壳聚糖（Cs）水凝胶。通过中心复合设计将Cur负载到泊洛沙姆407胶束中，并将其掺入柠檬酸（CA）交联的Cs水凝胶中。使用傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、差示扫描量热法（DSC）、流变学测试以及体外实验（如溶血和细胞毒性测定）对水凝胶进行表征。FTIR证实了Cs和CA之间的交联，而DSC表明负载Cur的胶束与水凝胶基质之间存在相互作用。流变学分析显示出凝胶状行为，储能模量（G'）始终高于损耗模量（G），并且温度影响水凝胶性能。SEM显示当掺入负载Cur的胶束时网络更致密，减缓了Cur的释放。在生理pH（7.4）下，7天后75%的Cur被释放，而在pH 5.5时84%被释放，表现出pH响应行为。细胞毒性测试显示VERO CCL-81细胞（0.2 - 20 ppm水凝胶）的活力超过80%。这种双包封系统为将亲脂性药物负载到pH响应水凝胶中提供了一个简单有效的平台。
