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Li Q, Yu X, Zhang S, Xu M, Yang Y, Wan Z, Yang X. All-Natural, Robust, and pH-Responsive Glycyrrhizic Acid-Based Double Network Hydrogels for Controlled Nutrient Release. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:43633-43647. [PMID: 37695942 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c10407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular hydrogels self-assembled from naturally occurring small molecules (e.g., glycyrrhizic acid, GA) are promising materials for controlled bioactive delivery due to their facile fabrication processes, excellent biocompatibility, and versatile stimuli-responsive behaviors. However, most of these natural hydrogels suffer from poor mechanical strength and processability for practical applications. In this work, through adopting a multicomponent gel approach, we developed a novel mechanically robust GA-based hydrogel with an interpenetrating double network (DN) that is composed of a Ca2+-enhanced hydrogen-bond supramolecular GA nanofibril (GN) network and a Ca2+cross-linked natural polysaccharide sodium alginate (ALG) network. Compared to the single GN network (SN) hydrogel, the GN-ALG hybrid hydrogels (GN-ALG-DN) with the hierarchical double-network structure possess excellent mechanical properties and shaping adaptation, encouraging small and large amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS and LAOS) rheological performances, better thermal stability, higher resistance to large compression deformations, and lower swelling behaviors. Furthermore, the GN-ALG-DN hydrogels exhibit a pH-responsive and sustained release behavior of nutrients (i.e., vitamin B12, VB12), showing a faster VB12 release rate with a higher swelling ratio in an alkaline condition (pH 7.5) than in an acidic condition (pH 2.5). This is ascribed to the fact that the higher dissociation degree of carboxylic groups in GA and ALG molecules in an alkaline environment induces the erosion and looseness of the self-assembled GN network and the ionic-cross-linked ALG network, which can lead to the decomposition of the hybrid hydrogels and thereby increases the release of nutrients. Cytotoxicity tests further demonstrate the excellent biocompatibility of the GN-ALG-DN hydrogels. This study highlights the design of robust shaped and structured supramolecular hydrogels from natural herb small molecules, which can serve as solid, edible, and stimuli-responsive active cargo delivery platforms for food, biomedical, and sustainable applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Li
- Laboratory of Food Proteins and Colloids, School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xinke Yu
- Laboratory of Food Proteins and Colloids, School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Shiqi Zhang
- Laboratory of Food Proteins and Colloids, School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Mengyue Xu
- Laboratory of Physics and Physical Chemistry of Foods, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, Wageningen 6708WG, The Netherlands
| | - Yunyi Yang
- Laboratory of Food Proteins and Colloids, School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Zhili Wan
- Laboratory of Food Proteins and Colloids, School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation of Food Nutrition and Human Health (111 Center), Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xiaoquan Yang
- Laboratory of Food Proteins and Colloids, School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
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Tanga S, Aucamp M, Ramburrun P. Injectable Thermoresponsive Hydrogels for Cancer Therapy: Challenges and Prospects. Gels 2023; 9:gels9050418. [PMID: 37233009 DOI: 10.3390/gels9050418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The enervating side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs have necessitated the use of targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy. To that end, thermoresponsive hydrogels have been employed to improve the accumulation and maintenance of drug release at the tumour site. Despite their efficiency, very few thermoresponsive hydrogel-based drugs have undergone clinical trials, and even fewer have received FDA approval for cancer treatment. This review discusses the challenges of designing thermoresponsive hydrogels for cancer treatment and offers suggestions for these challenges as available in the literature. Furthermore, the argument for drug accumulation is challenged by the revelation of structural and functional barriers in tumours that may not support targeted drug release from hydrogels. Other highlights involve the demanding preparation process of thermoresponsive hydrogels, which often involves poor drug loading and difficulties in controlling the lower critical solution temperature and gelation kinetics. Additionally, the shortcomings in the administration process of thermosensitive hydrogels are examined, and special insight into the injectable thermosensitive hydrogels that reached clinical trials for cancer treatment is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Tanga
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Marique Aucamp
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Poornima Ramburrun
- Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
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Large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) for nonlinear rheological behavior of heterogeneous emulsion gels made from natural supramolecular gelators. Food Res Int 2020; 140:110076. [PMID: 33648296 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.110076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The linear and nonlinear rheological behaviors of heterogeneous emulsions gels made from natural glycyrrhizic acid (GA) nanofibrils and sitosterol-oryzanol mixtures (sterols) were investigated using small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) and large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS). The nonlinear rheological response was qualitatively analyzed using normalized Lissajous-Bowditch curves. The microstructure of the emulsion gels strongly depended on the concentration of sterols in the oil phase, and showed a percolated segregated network at 10-20 wt% sterols due to the partial coalescence of droplets, and a jamming transition without coalescence at higher sterols concentration of 30 wt%. The microstructure differences led to different linear and nonlinear viscoelastic behaviors of these emulsion gels. SAOS tests showed that the oil phase structuring by the sterols significantly enhance the viscoelasticity of GA nanofibril emulsion gels, and the percolating emulsion gels exhibited higher elasticity than the jammed emulsion gel, as evidenced by a lower damping factor and frequency power-law exponent. The data of crossover strain, phase angle, and the normalized Lissajous-Bowditch curves from LAOS tests further revealed that compared to the samples in a jammed state or without oil phase structuring, the emulsion gels with a percolating segregated network showed higher structural elasticity and thus were more resistant to large deformations, probably due to the slow relaxation of rigid, hydrodynamically interacting clusters of partially coalesced droplets. These findings could potentially aid in the design of novel emulsion gels, based on all-natural and sustainable building blocks, with specific textural and functional properties for foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications.
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Li H, Li F, Zhao L, Zhao L, Sun P, Wu J, Wang X, Pu Q. Electric Field-Driven On-Request Instant in Situ Formation/Removal of Solid Hydrogel within Microchannels for Efficient Electrophoretic Separation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:8773-8779. [PMID: 31997635 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b22878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Electrophoretic separation in short microchannels is a promising way for rapid analysis of biomolecules, but the pressurized laminar flow may compromise the separation efficiency. In this work, through an electric field, instant formation and removal of a solid chitosan/β-glycerol phosphate (CS/β-GP) hydrogel within microchannels of microchips were realized. In a typical cross-type microchip, the CS/β-GP hydrogel was precisely formed in the separation microchannel within 15 s of the application of a voltage of 2000 V. Highly efficient separation of peptides and proteins was achieved, and theoretical plate numbers of 0.6 to 1.5 × 106/m were attained for proteins in 120 s. The used hydrogel could be swiftly removed also with an electric field, and the whole procedure was achieved on a standard microchip electrophoresis device with no extra accessory or special operation required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metals Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, Department of Chemistry , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Fengyun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metals Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, Department of Chemistry , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Lizhi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metals Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, Department of Chemistry , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Lei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metals Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, Department of Chemistry , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Ping Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metals Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, Department of Chemistry , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Jing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metals Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, Department of Chemistry , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Xiayan Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Green Catalysis and Separation, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Beijing University of Technology , Beijing 100124 , China
| | - Qiaosheng Pu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metals Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, Department of Chemistry , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
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Electrically conductive biomaterials based on natural polysaccharides: Challenges and applications in tissue engineering. Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 141:636-662. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Graham S, Marina PF, Blencowe A. Thermoresponsive polysaccharides and their thermoreversible physical hydrogel networks. Carbohydr Polym 2018; 207:143-159. [PMID: 30599994 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.11.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Thermoresponsive polymers have been used extensively for various applications including food additives, pharmaceutical formulations, therapeutic delivery, cosmetics and environmental remediation, to mention a few. Many thermoresponsive polymers have the ability to form physical hydrogel networks in response to temperature changes, which are particularly useful for emerging biomedical applications, including cell therapies, drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, wound healing and 3D bioprinting. In particular, the use of polysaccharides with thermoresponsive properties has been of interest due to their wide availability, versatile functionality, biodegradability, and in many cases, inherent biocompatibility. Naturally thermoresponsive polysaccharides include agarose, carrageenans and gellan gum, which exhibit upper critical solution temperatures, transitioning from a solution to a gel state upon cooling. Arguably, this limits their use in biomedical applications, particularly for cell encapsulation as they require raised temperatures to maintain a solution state that may be detrimental to living systems. Conversely, significant progress has been made over recent years to develop synthetically modified polysaccharides, which tend to exhibit lower critical solution temperatures, transitioning from a solution to a gel state upon warming. Of particular interest are thermoresponsive polysaccharides with a lower critical solution temperature in between room temperature and physiological temperature, as their solutions can conveniently be manipulated at room temperature before gelling upon warming to physiological temperature, which makes them ideal candidates for many biological applications. Therefore, this review provides an introduction to the different types of thermoresponsive polysaccharides that have been developed, their resulting hydrogels and properties, and the exciting applications that have emerged as a result of these properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Graham
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Paula Facal Marina
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia; Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia
| | - Anton Blencowe
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia; Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia.
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Meng Z, Qi K, Guo Y, Wang Y, Liu Y. Physical Properties, Microstructure, Intermolecular Forces, and Oxidation Stability of Soybean Oil Oleogels Structured by Different Cellulose Ethers. EUR J LIPID SCI TECH 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ejlt.201700287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zong Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University; 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi 214122 Jiangsu P.R. China
| | - Keyu Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University; 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi 214122 Jiangsu P.R. China
| | - Ying Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University; 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi 214122 Jiangsu P.R. China
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Saskatchewan Oilseed Joint Laboratory, Jinan University; Huangpu Rd. West 601 Guangzhou 510632 Guangdong P.R. China
| | - Yuanfa Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University; 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi 214122 Jiangsu P.R. China
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Sun T, Zhu C, Xu J. Multiple stimuli-responsive selenium-functionalized biodegradable starch-based hydrogels. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:921-926. [PMID: 29309083 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm02137b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Novel biodegradable diselenide cross-linked starch-based hydrogels were synthesized via free radical copolymerization, which serve as stimuli-responsive drug release materials composed of starch chain backbones with an enzyme hydrolysis property and selenium-containing cross-linkers with a redox responsive cleavage property. Rhodamine B (RB) loaded starch-based hydrogels were prepared in order to investigate their stimuli-responsive release behaviours. In the presence of external redox agents, the enzyme stimuli as well as the mixture of the above stimuli, the prepared starch-based hydrogels exhibit controlled multi-responsive release behavior of RB. Overall, the merits of good biodegradation and multi-stimuli responsiveness make these kinds of starch-based hydrogels promising biomedical candidates for the realization of controlled drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongbing Sun
- College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancun North First Street 2, Beijing, China.
| | - Caizhen Zhu
- College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Jian Xu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancun North First Street 2, Beijing, China.
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