Fabrication of self-healing pectin/chitosan hybrid hydrogel via Diels-Alder reactions for drug delivery with high swelling property, pH-responsiveness, and cytocompatibility

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers 2021-09, Vol.268, p.118244-118244, Article 118244
• Main Authors: Li, De-qiang, Wang, Shu-ya, Meng, Yu-jie, Guo, Zong-wei, Cheng, Mei-mei, Li, Jun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chitosan; Cytocompatibility; Diels-Alder reaction; Drug delivery; Hydrogel; Pectin; Self-healing
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118244

Self-healing hydrogels with pH-responsiveness could protect loaded drugs from being destroyed till it arrives to the target. The pectin-based hydrogel is a candidate due to the health benefit, anti-inflammation, antineoplastic activity, nontoxicity, and biospecific degradation, et al. However, the abundant existence of water-soluble branched heteropolysaccharide chains influenced its performance resulting in limitation of the potential. In the present study, we prepared a series of self-healing pectin/chitosan hydrogels via the Diels-Alder reaction. Moreover, pectin/chitosan composite hydrogel was prepared as a contrast. By comparison, it can be seen that the Diels-Alder reaction greatly improved the cross-linking density of hydrogels. The self-healing experiments showed excellent self-healing performance. In different swelling mediums, significant transformation in the swelling ratio was shown, indicating well-swelling property, pH- and thermo-responsiveness. The drug loading and release studies presented high loading efficiency and sustained release performance. The cytotoxicity assay that showed a high cell proliferation ratio manifested great cytocompatibility. [Display omitted] •Diels-Alder reaction was firstly employed to prepare self-healing pectin/chitosan hydrogel.•The crosslinking density was mainly controlled by the Diels-Alder reaction.•The obtained hydrogel presented a high swelling ratio and pH-responsiveness.