Polysaccharide Hydrogels Based on Cellulose and Chitosan for Drug Sustained-Release Applications

This study developed a novel water-soluble Cellulose Acetoacetate (CAA)-chitosan (CS) composite hydrogel drug delivery system. In this system, CAA and CS molecules are cross-linked via dynamic enamine bonds, forming a three-dimensional network structure suitable for drug encapsulation and controlled...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xueyan Jin, Hong Xu, Zhiping Mao, Xueling Feng, Yi Zhong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5601
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850257946172194816
author Xueyan Jin
Hong Xu
Zhiping Mao
Xueling Feng
Yi Zhong
author_facet Xueyan Jin
Hong Xu
Zhiping Mao
Xueling Feng
Yi Zhong
author_sort Xueyan Jin
collection DOAJ
description This study developed a novel water-soluble Cellulose Acetoacetate (CAA)-chitosan (CS) composite hydrogel drug delivery system. In this system, CAA and CS molecules are cross-linked via dynamic enamine bonds, forming a three-dimensional network structure suitable for drug encapsulation and controlled release. The primary objective was to address the challenges associated with the short half-life and significant fluctuations in therapeutic concentration of cytokine drugs, such as interleukin-2 (IL-2). A hydrogel system with a three-dimensional spatial network structure was successfully constructed via dynamic enamine bonds cross-linking between the acetoacetate groups in CAA molecules and the amino groups in CS. This system exhibits the following characteristics: (1) Dynamic covalent bonds impart adjustable mechanical properties to the hydrogel, enabling precise control over gelation time and mechanical performance; (2) A hierarchical pore structure (average pore size of 100–200 μm) provides a three-dimensional confined space for efficient drug encapsulation, achieving an IL-2 encapsulation efficiency of 83.3 ± 3.1%; (3) In vitro release studies demonstrated that the cumulative release of IL-2 within 72 h ranged from 18.4% to 34.7%, indicating sustained-release behavior. Cell viability assays confirmed that the hydrogel maintained the survival rate of L929 cells above 85% (as determined by the CCK-8 method), and live/dead staining revealed no apparent cytotoxicity. Overall, this three-dimensional network hydrogel based on dynamic covalent bonds represents a promising strategy for low-dose, long-lasting cytokine delivery.
format Article
id doaj-art-0e0b23ea61d045f591cfb51b41d541f0
institution OA Journals
issn 2076-3417
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Applied Sciences
spelling doaj-art-0e0b23ea61d045f591cfb51b41d541f02025-08-20T01:56:17ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-05-011510560110.3390/app15105601Polysaccharide Hydrogels Based on Cellulose and Chitosan for Drug Sustained-Release ApplicationsXueyan Jin0Hong Xu1Zhiping Mao2Xueling Feng3Yi Zhong4A Key Lab of Science and Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, ChinaA Key Lab of Science and Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, ChinaA Key Lab of Science and Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, ChinaA Key Lab of Science and Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, ChinaA Key Lab of Science and Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, ChinaThis study developed a novel water-soluble Cellulose Acetoacetate (CAA)-chitosan (CS) composite hydrogel drug delivery system. In this system, CAA and CS molecules are cross-linked via dynamic enamine bonds, forming a three-dimensional network structure suitable for drug encapsulation and controlled release. The primary objective was to address the challenges associated with the short half-life and significant fluctuations in therapeutic concentration of cytokine drugs, such as interleukin-2 (IL-2). A hydrogel system with a three-dimensional spatial network structure was successfully constructed via dynamic enamine bonds cross-linking between the acetoacetate groups in CAA molecules and the amino groups in CS. This system exhibits the following characteristics: (1) Dynamic covalent bonds impart adjustable mechanical properties to the hydrogel, enabling precise control over gelation time and mechanical performance; (2) A hierarchical pore structure (average pore size of 100–200 μm) provides a three-dimensional confined space for efficient drug encapsulation, achieving an IL-2 encapsulation efficiency of 83.3 ± 3.1%; (3) In vitro release studies demonstrated that the cumulative release of IL-2 within 72 h ranged from 18.4% to 34.7%, indicating sustained-release behavior. Cell viability assays confirmed that the hydrogel maintained the survival rate of L929 cells above 85% (as determined by the CCK-8 method), and live/dead staining revealed no apparent cytotoxicity. Overall, this three-dimensional network hydrogel based on dynamic covalent bonds represents a promising strategy for low-dose, long-lasting cytokine delivery.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5601hydrogelcelluloseacetoacetatechitosandrug-sustained-release
spellingShingle Xueyan Jin
Hong Xu
Zhiping Mao
Xueling Feng
Yi Zhong
Polysaccharide Hydrogels Based on Cellulose and Chitosan for Drug Sustained-Release Applications
Applied Sciences
hydrogel
cellulose
acetoacetate
chitosan
drug-sustained-release
title Polysaccharide Hydrogels Based on Cellulose and Chitosan for Drug Sustained-Release Applications
title_full Polysaccharide Hydrogels Based on Cellulose and Chitosan for Drug Sustained-Release Applications
title_fullStr Polysaccharide Hydrogels Based on Cellulose and Chitosan for Drug Sustained-Release Applications
title_full_unstemmed Polysaccharide Hydrogels Based on Cellulose and Chitosan for Drug Sustained-Release Applications
title_short Polysaccharide Hydrogels Based on Cellulose and Chitosan for Drug Sustained-Release Applications
title_sort polysaccharide hydrogels based on cellulose and chitosan for drug sustained release applications
topic hydrogel
cellulose
acetoacetate
chitosan
drug-sustained-release
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5601
work_keys_str_mv AT xueyanjin polysaccharidehydrogelsbasedoncelluloseandchitosanfordrugsustainedreleaseapplications
AT hongxu polysaccharidehydrogelsbasedoncelluloseandchitosanfordrugsustainedreleaseapplications
AT zhipingmao polysaccharidehydrogelsbasedoncelluloseandchitosanfordrugsustainedreleaseapplications
AT xuelingfeng polysaccharidehydrogelsbasedoncelluloseandchitosanfordrugsustainedreleaseapplications
AT yizhong polysaccharidehydrogelsbasedoncelluloseandchitosanfordrugsustainedreleaseapplications