Insights into the formation mechanisms and properties of pectin hydrogel physically cross-linked with chitosan nanogels.

This study explores hydrogels based on the physical interaction between soluble pectin and chitosan nanogels. A simple technique for creating chitosan nanogels of controllable size was developed based on a two-step process: physical cross-linking with tripolyphosphate (TPP) and chemical cross-linking with genipin. The particles were stable at acidic pH, which allowed hydrogel formation. Thixotropy experiments demonstrated that the concentration but not the size of the nanogels strongly affected the gel shear modulus. The influence of the post-assembly conditions, including exposure to monovalent salts (NaCl, NaI, and NaF) and pH (2.5 or 5.5), on the gel swelling and mechanical properties was studied. Small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) results provide evidence that these physical hydrogels are indeed a cross-linked network. These experiments provided insights into the influence of hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions on the gel network.

Shear thinning pectin hydrogels physically cross-linked with chitosan nanogels.

The development of a polymer-nanogel hydrogel based on a pair of polysaccharides is reported for the first time. This new hydrogel exhibits self-healing properties due to physical interactions between soluble pectin chains and chitosan nanogels. The nanogels act as crosslinking agents between pectin chains, leading to the formation of thermos-responsive hydrogel. Due to the dynamic interactions between the chains and the nanogels, the formed network dissociate under applied shear, allowing the hydrogel to flow. Moreover, elimination of the applied shear results in exceptionally fast and comprehensive recovery of the storage modulus, reverting the mixture back into solid form. The viscosity and Young modulus increased with the nanogels concentration while the equilibrium swelling decreased as the nanogels concentration increased suggesting a direct relation between the cross-linking degree and nanogel content. This novel hydrogel displays network recovery suitable for injectable biomedical applications, while benefiting from the advantages of nanogels as carriers.

Acrylated chitosan for mucoadhesive drug delivery systems.

A new mucoadhesive polymer was synthesized by conjugating chitosan to poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate (PEGDA) via the Michael type reaction. The product was characterized using NMR. Higher PEGDA grafting efficacy was observed with low molecular weight PEGDA (0.7kDa), compared to long 10kDa PEGDA. The acrylation percentage was calculated based on the reaction of ninhydrin with chitosan, and supported the qualitative NMR findings. The adhesive properties were studied by tensile test and rotating system involving detachment of polymer tablets from a fresh intestine sample. Chitosan modified with high molecular weight PEGDA presented improvement in mucoadhesive properties compared to both non-modified and thiolated chitosan. On the molecular level, rheology measurements of polymer/mucin mixtures provided additional evidence of strong interaction between modified chitosan and mucin glycoproteins. This new polymer shows promise as a useful polymeric carrier matrix for delivery systems, which could provide prolonged residence time of the vehicle on the mucosa surface.