Development Of Gelatin - Based Hydrogel Incorporated With Zinc Ions With Enhanced Tissue Adhesiveness, Antioxidation, And Antibacterial For Tissue Regeneration Applications

Abstract

Tissue regeneration is a complex and sophisticated biological process in the body aimed to repair and replace old, damaged or dysfunctional tissues. Many factors, including biological, chemical, mechanical and environmental factors, influence the rate and efficiency of natural tissue regeneration. Therefore, a biomedical material considered ideal for tissue regeneration needs to combine many different properties that meet the complex stages of this process. Thus, this thesis aimed to develop a multifunctional biomaterial to support regeneration in many different processes, such as wound healing, and minimize risks during recovery time. Tannic acid modified gelatin-based hydrogel was developed through crosslinking by zinc ions, provided the tissues adhesive, antioxidants, antibacterial and cytocompatibility properties needed for an ideal biomaterial. The conjugation of tannic acid on gelatin occurred through a one-step Micheal Addition reaction, then zinc ion in different concentrations was added into the polymer solution as crosslinker to forming the hydrogel. Its properties were evaluated based on a set of experiments related to physicochemical, biological, and cytological properties. Based on mechanical evaluations, the hydrogel has a flexible structure and high mechanical strength that is suitable for a scaffold or carrier. Besides, antibacterial evaluations show that hydrogel has better inhibitory ability against gram-positive than gram-negative bacteria. To confirm the cytocompatibility of the hydrogel, live/dead staining results showed that the hydrogel was had absolutely no effect on the cell viability. These results show that this material has the potential to be developed and applied in clinical tissue regeneration practice.