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Polyelectrolyte complexes hydrogels based on chitosan/pectin/NaCl for potentially wound dressing: development, characterization, and evaluation

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Abstract

In this research, hydrogels based on chitosan, pectin, and salt (NaCl) were synthesized through the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs). The synthesis parameters, including pH, salinity, and polymer concentration, were varied to explore their influence. Weight and texture analysis revealed differences in hydrogel morphology. Swelling behavior studies showed hydrogels synthesized at pH 4 exhibiting higher swelling capacities. Additionally, the presence of salt affected the formation process. Thermal characterization showed a first decomposition step occurring around 180–224 °C. Morphological testing using SEM highlighted differences in pore size and distribution, notably when salt was included in the formulation (pore wall diameter without NaCl, 2.2 ± 1.1 um, with NaCl, 4.7 ± 1.2 um). Physico-chemical tests, including Zeta potential, FTIR, and XRD, provided insights into interactions within the hydrogels: hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. Moreover, antibacterial tests demonstrated efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with varying inhibition degrees correlated with NaCl content (halo for E. coli without NaCl, 8 and 10 mm; with NaCl, 10 and 15 mm). Further assessments, including water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and lidocaine release assays, highlighted hydrogel potential for wound dressing applications, with suitable moisture retention properties and controlled drug release capabilities. The release percentage achieved by the hydrogel with 0.15 M NaCl was higher than without salt (111.1% ± 9.5% and 31.16% ± 15.13%, respectively). Preliminary in vivo wound healing studies showed promising results. Overall, our findings emphasize the tunable properties of these hydrogels and their potential for wound dressings.

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All experimental data, materials, and methods used in this research are available to other researchers upon request. Additionally, all data and results presented in this article are supported by the provided materials, methods, and custom analysis software. Further details on data and materials can be obtained by contacting the authors.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the collaborations made by Dra. Veronica Lassalle in Z-Pot determinations, Eng. Ulises Casado in DMA assays, Vanesa Fuchs in XRD measurements, and Lic. Andrés Torres Nicolini in TGA analysis.

Funding

This work was supported by the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata under Grant ING605/21; I + d + i Agency under Grant PICT 17- 0603, PICT 16–1905, PICT 2020–1917; and CONICET under Grant 112202101 00638CO for the fellowship to Micaela Ferrante.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Materiales Compuestos Termoplásticos (COMP), Instituto de ciencia y tecnología de Materiales (INTEMA), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMdP) y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) Colón 10890, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina

    Micaela Ferrante, Vera A. Alvarez & Jimena S. Gonzalez

  2. Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEyN), UNMdP, CONICET, CP, 7600, Mar del Plata, CP, Argentina

    Liesel B. Gende

  3. Centro de estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, University of Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Paraguay 2155 C1121ABG, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Diego Guerrieri & Eduardo Chuluyan

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  1. Micaela Ferrante
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  2. Vera A. Alvarez
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  6. Jimena S. Gonzalez
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Contributions

MF: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, data curation, investigation, methodology, writingoriginal draft, writing review; LG: Methodology, data curation, writing review; VA: Project administration, supervision, writing review; DG and EC: In vivo tests andmethodology; JG: Conceptualization, investigation, methodology, project administration, supervision, writing review.

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Correspondence to Jimena S. Gonzalez.

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All procedures involving animals were in compliance with the National Research Council's Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Also, the study protocols were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the School of Medicine at Buenos Aires University.

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Ferrante, M., Alvarez, V.A., Gende, L.B. et al. Polyelectrolyte complexes hydrogels based on chitosan/pectin/NaCl for potentially wound dressing: development, characterization, and evaluation. Colloid Polym Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-024-05261-y

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