Advances of Alginate-Based Hydrogels in Drug Delivery and Encapsulation Technologies

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (17 December 2021) | Viewed by 23402

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Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Herff College of Engineering, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
Interests: advanced pharmaceutics; nanomedicine; medical devices; gene delivery; biomedical
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Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels are a three-dimensional and crosslinked network of hydrophilic polymers. They can absorb a large amount of water or biological fluids, which leads to their swelling while maintaining their 3D structure without dissolving. Among the numerous polymers that have been utilized for the preparation of the hydrogels, polysaccharides have gained more attention in the area of pharmaceutics. Sodium alginate is a non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable polysaccharide with several unique physicochemical properties; it has been used as delivery vehicles for drugs. Owing to their high-water content and natural soft tissue, hydrogels have been largely studied as a scaffold. The formation of hydrogels can occur by interactions of the anionic alginates with multivalent inorganic cations through a typical ionotropic gelation method. However, those applications require the control of some properties such as mechanical stiffness, swelling, degradation, cell attachment, and binding or release of bioactive molecules by using the chemical or physical modifications of the alginate.

This Special Issue explores the vital precepts, basic and fundamental aspects of alginates in pharmaceutical sciences, biopharmacology, and encapsulation in the biotechnology industry. The use of natural polymers in healthcare applications over synthetic polymers is becoming more prevalent due to natural polymers’ biocompatibility, biodegradability, economic extraction and ready availability. To fully utilize and harness the potential of alginates, this Special Issue presents a thorough understanding of the synthesis, purification, and characterization of alginates and their derivatives. This is a highly useful resource for pharmaceutical and biomedical scientists, health care professionals and regulatory scientists actively involved in the pharmaceutical product and process development of natural polymer containing drug delivery, as well as postgraduate students and postdoctoral research fellows in pharmaceutical sciences. The scope of this Special Issue covers novel alginate hydrogel-based systems equipped with nanotechnology with applications in drug delivery, disease modeling, tissue engineering, organs-on-chip, 3D bioprinting, flexible biosensing, and soft robotics, as well as their applications and the interface of these systems with drug screening, genomics, metabolomics, and proteomics for a better understanding of disease formation and progression. We accept original research articles, critical review papers, and commentaries.

Dr. Mallesh Kurakula
Prof. Dr. Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • alginate
  • hydrogel
  • nanotechnology
  • drug delivery
  • applications
  • encapsulation

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 25210 KiB  
Article
QbD Supported Optimization of the Alginate-Chitosan Nanoparticles of Simvastatin in Enhancing the Anti-Proliferative Activity against Tongue Carcinoma
by Waleed Y. Rizg, N. Raghavendra Naveen, Mallesh Kurakula, Haitham A. Bukhary, Awaji Y. Safhi, Eman Alfayez, Amal M. Sindi, Sarah Ali, Samar S. Murshid and Khaled M. Hosny
Gels 2022, 8(2), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8020103 - 9 Feb 2022
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2405
Abstract
The goal of the current study is to develop a chitosan alginate nanoparticle system encapsulating the model drug, simvastatin (SIM-CA-NP) using a novel polyelectrolytic complexation method. The formulation was optimized using the central composite design by considering the concentrations of chitosan and alginate [...] Read more.
The goal of the current study is to develop a chitosan alginate nanoparticle system encapsulating the model drug, simvastatin (SIM-CA-NP) using a novel polyelectrolytic complexation method. The formulation was optimized using the central composite design by considering the concentrations of chitosan and alginate at five different levels (coded as +1.414, +1, 0, −1, and −1.414) in achieving minimum particle size (PS-Y1) and maximum entrapment efficiency (EE-Y2). A total of 13 runs were formulated (as projected by the Design-Expert software) and evaluated accordingly for the selected responses. On basis of the desirability approach (D = 0.880), a formulation containing 0.258 g of chitosan and 0.353 g of alginate could fulfill the prerequisites of optimum formulation in achieving 142.56 nm of PS and 75.18% EE. Optimized formulation (O-SIM-CAN) was further evaluated for PS and EE to compare with the theoretical results, and relative error was found to be within the acceptable limits, thus confirming the accuracy of the selected design. SIM release from O-SIM-CAN was retarded significantly even beyond 96 h, due to the encapsulation in chitosan alginate carriers. The cell viability study and Caspase-3 enzyme assay showed a notable difference in contrast to that of plain SIM and control group. All these stated results confirm that the alginate-chitosan nanoparticulate system enhanced the anti-proliferative activity of SIM. Full article
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13 pages, 1127 KiB  
Article
Effect of Root Surface Biomodification on Multiple Recession Coverage with Modified Coronally Advanced Tunnel Technique and Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft: A Retrospective Analysis
by Bartłomiej Górski and Marcin Szerszeń
Gels 2022, 8(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8010031 - 4 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2785
Abstract
To improve treatment efficacy of gingival recessions (GR), chemical preparation of the exposed root surface was advocated. The aim of this study was to compare the additional influence of root biomodifications with 24% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) alone or with enamel matrix derivative (EMD) [...] Read more.
To improve treatment efficacy of gingival recessions (GR), chemical preparation of the exposed root surface was advocated. The aim of this study was to compare the additional influence of root biomodifications with 24% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) alone or with enamel matrix derivative (EMD) on the 12 month outcomes of modified coronally advanced tunnel (MCAT) with subepithelial connective tissue graft in the treatment of multiple GR. Average root coverage (ARC), complete root coverage (CRC), reduction in GR, reduction in recession width (RW), gain in clinical attachment level (CAL), increase in gingival thickness (GT), increase in keratinized tissue width (KTW) and changes in root coverage esthetic score (RES) were evaluated. A total of 60 patients with 215 GR were enrolled. In 70, GR root surfaces were treated with EDTA + EMD, in other 72, with EDTA, while in the remaining 73 saline solution was applied. ARC was 94%, 89%, and 91% in the EDTA + EMD, the EDTA and the saline groups, respectively (p = 0.8871). Gains in clinical attachment level (CAL; 2.1 ± 1.1 mm) and RES values (9.6 ± 0.9) were significantly higher in the EDTA + EMD group, when compared with two other groups. The differences between other preoperative and postoperative parameters showed statistical significance only within but not between groups. MCAT outcomes may benefit from adjunctive use of EDTA + EMD regarding 12 month CAL gain and professionally assessed esthetics using RES following treatment of GR. Full article
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14 pages, 2956 KiB  
Article
Degradable 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate/Gelatin/Alginate Hydrogels Infused by Nanocolloidal Graphene Oxide as Promising Drug Delivery and Scaffolding Biomaterials
by Marija M. Babić Radić, Vuk V. Filipović, Marija Vukomanović, Jasmina Nikodinović Runić and Simonida Lj. Tomić
Gels 2022, 8(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8010022 - 27 Dec 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3786
Abstract
The design and evaluation of novel 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate/gelatin/alginate/graphene oxide hydrogels as innovative scaffolding biomaterials, which concurrently are the suitable drug delivery carrier, was proposed. The hydrogels were prepared by the adapted porogen leaching method; this is also the first time this method has [...] Read more.
The design and evaluation of novel 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate/gelatin/alginate/graphene oxide hydrogels as innovative scaffolding biomaterials, which concurrently are the suitable drug delivery carrier, was proposed. The hydrogels were prepared by the adapted porogen leaching method; this is also the first time this method has been used to incorporate nanocolloidal graphene oxide through the hydrogel and simultaneously form porous structures. The effects of a material’s composition on its chemical, morphological, mechanical, and swelling properties, as well as on cell viability and in vitro degradation, were assessed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), measurements of Young’s modulus, gravimetric method and MTT test, respectively. The engineered hydrogels show good swelling capacity, fully hydrophilic surfaces, tunable porosity (from 56 to 76%) and mechanical properties (from 1.69 to 4.78 MPa), curcumin entrapment efficiency above 99% and excellent curcumin release performances. In vitro cytotoxicity on healthy human fibroblast (MRC5 cells) by MTT test reveal that the materials are nontoxic and biocompatible, proposing novel hydrogels for in vivo clinical evaluation to optimize tissue regeneration treatments by coupling the hydrogels with cells and different active agents to create material/biofactor hybrids with new levels of biofunctionality. Full article
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19 pages, 6655 KiB  
Article
Enhancement of Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Optimized Niosomal Colchicine Loaded into Jojoba Oil-Based Emulgel Using Response Surface Methodology
by Heba S. Elsewedy, Nancy S. Younis, Tamer M. Shehata, Maged E. Mohamed and Wafaa E. Soliman
Gels 2022, 8(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8010016 - 25 Dec 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3716
Abstract
Recent progression in investigational studies aiming to integrate natural products and plant oils in developing new dosage forms that would provide optimal therapeutic effect. Therefore, the aim of the present exploration was to inspect the influence of jojoba oil in boosting the anti-inflammatory [...] Read more.
Recent progression in investigational studies aiming to integrate natural products and plant oils in developing new dosage forms that would provide optimal therapeutic effect. Therefore, the aim of the present exploration was to inspect the influence of jojoba oil in boosting the anti-inflammatory effect of colchicine natural product. To our knowledge, there is no formulation comprising colchicine and jojoba oil together to form a niosomal emulgel preparation anticipated for topical application. Colchicine is a natural product extracted from Colchicum autumnale that has been evidenced to show respectable anti-inflammatory activity. Owing to its drawbacks and low therapeutic index, it was preferable to be formulated into topical dosage form. The current study inspected colchicine transdermal delivery by developing niosomal preparation as a potential nanocarrier included into emulgel prepared with jojoba oil. Box Behnken design was constructed to develop 17 niosomal emulgel formulations. The optimized colchicine niosomal emulgel was evaluated for its physical characteristics and in vitro release studies. The in vivo anti-inflammatory activity was estimated via carrageenan-induced rat hind paw edema method. The developed colchicine niosomal preparation revealed particle size of 220.7 nm with PDI value 0.22, entrapment efficiency 65.3%. The formulation was found to be stable showing no significant difference in particle size and entrapment efficiency up on storage at 4 °C and 25 °C for 3 months. The optimized colchicine niosomal emulgel exhibited a pH value 6.73, viscosity 4598 cP, and spreadability 38.3 mm. In vitro release study of colchicine from niosomal emulgel formulation was around 52.4% over 6 h. Apparently, the proficient anti-inflammatory activity of colchicine niosomal emulgel was confirmed via carrageenan-induced rat hind paw edema test. Overall, the results recommend the combination of niosomal preparation with jojoba oil-based emulgel that might signify a favorable delivery of anti-inflammatory drug such as colchicine. Full article
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15 pages, 1587 KiB  
Article
Shellac Gum/Carrageenan Alginate-Based Core–Shell Systems Containing Peppermint Essential Oil Formulated by Mixture Design Approach
by Andrea Foglio Bonda, Alessandro Candiani, Martina Pertile, Lorella Giovannelli and Lorena Segale
Gels 2021, 7(4), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels7040162 - 3 Oct 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2680
Abstract
Peppermint essential oil is encapsulated by inverse ionotropic gelation in core–shell systems, composed of alginate (ALG) alone or alginate with shellac gum (SHL) and/or carrageenan (CRG). A mixture design approach is used to evaluate the correlation between the formulation composition and some properties [...] Read more.
Peppermint essential oil is encapsulated by inverse ionotropic gelation in core–shell systems, composed of alginate (ALG) alone or alginate with shellac gum (SHL) and/or carrageenan (CRG). A mixture design approach is used to evaluate the correlation between the formulation composition and some properties of the final products. Immediately after the preparation, capsules appear rounded with a smooth and homogeneous surface, having a similar particle size ranging from 3.8 mm to 4.5 mm. The drying process, carried out at 40 °C in an oven for 3 h, reduces capsules’ diameters by at least 50% and has a negative impact on the shape of the systems because they lose their regular shape and their external membrane partially collapses. The peppermint essential oil content of dried capsules is between 14.84% and 33.75%. The swelling behaviour of the systems is affected by the composition of their outer shell. When the external membrane is composed of alginate and shellac gum, the capsule ability to swell is lower than that of the systems containing alginate alone. The swelling ratio reaches 31% for alginate capsules but does not exceed 21% if shellac is present. Differently, when the second polymer of the shell is carrageenan, the swelling ability increases as a function of polymer concentration and the swelling ratio reaches 360%. In the case of systems whose outer membrane is a polymeric ternary mixture, the swelling capacity increases or decreases according to the concentrations of the individual polymers. The obtained results suggest that carrageenan could be a useful excipient to increase the swelling behaviour of the systems, while shellac gum makes the system shell more hydrophobic. The use of a mixture design (i.e., the use of ternary diagrams and related calculations), in which each single component is chosen to provide specific properties to the final mixture, could be the right approach to develop improved formulations with a tailored essential oil release profile. Full article
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Review

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21 pages, 3181 KiB  
Review
Application of Alginate-Based Hydrogels in Hemostasis
by Yue Xie, Pan Gao, Fangfang He and Chun Zhang
Gels 2022, 8(2), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8020109 - 10 Feb 2022
Cited by 48 | Viewed by 6680
Abstract
Hemorrhage, as a common trauma injury and clinical postoperative complication, may cause serious damage to the body, especially for patients with huge blood loss and coagulation dysfunction. Timely and effective hemostasis and avoidance of bleeding are of great significance for reducing body damage [...] Read more.
Hemorrhage, as a common trauma injury and clinical postoperative complication, may cause serious damage to the body, especially for patients with huge blood loss and coagulation dysfunction. Timely and effective hemostasis and avoidance of bleeding are of great significance for reducing body damage and improving the survival rate and quality of life of patients. Alginate is considered to be an excellent hemostatic polymer-based biomaterial due to its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity, easy gelation and easy availability. In recent years, alginate hydrogels have been more and more widely used in the medical field, and a series of hemostatic related products have been developed such as medical dressings, hemostatic needles, transcatheter interventional embolization preparations, microneedles, injectable hydrogels, and hemostatic powders. The development and application prospects are extremely broad. This manuscript reviews the structure, properties and history of alginate, as well as the research progress of alginate hydrogels in clinical applications related to hemostasis. This review also discusses the current limitations and possible future development prospects of alginate hydrogels in hemostatic applications. Full article
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