Physicochemical Characteristics of Chitosan-Based Hydrogels Containing Albumin Particles and <i>Aloe vera</i> Juice as Transdermal Systems Functionalized in the Viewpoint of Potential Biomedical Applications
Sonia Kudłacik-Kramarczyk,
Magdalena Głąb,
Anna Drabczyk,
Aleksandra Kordyka,
Marcin Godzierz,
Paweł S. Wróbel,
Marcel Krzan,
Marimuthu Uthayakumar,
Magdalena Kędzierska,
Bożena Tyliszczak
Affiliations
Sonia Kudłacik-Kramarczyk
Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Materials Engineering and Physics, Cracow University of Technology, 37 Jana Pawła II Av., 31-864 Krakow, Poland
Magdalena Głąb
Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Materials Engineering and Physics, Cracow University of Technology, 37 Jana Pawła II Av., 31-864 Krakow, Poland
Anna Drabczyk
Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Materials Engineering and Physics, Cracow University of Technology, 37 Jana Pawła II Av., 31-864 Krakow, Poland
Aleksandra Kordyka
Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences; 34 M. Curie-Skłodowskiej St., 41-819 Zabrze, Poland
Marcin Godzierz
Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences; 34 M. Curie-Skłodowskiej St., 41-819 Zabrze, Poland
Paweł S. Wróbel
Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences; 34 M. Curie-Skłodowskiej St., 41-819 Zabrze, Poland
Marcel Krzan
Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 8 Niezapominajek St., 30-239 Krakow, Poland
Marimuthu Uthayakumar
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil 626126, India
Magdalena Kędzierska
Department of Chemotherapy, Medical University of Lodz, WWCOiT Copernicus Hospital, 90-001 Lodz, Poland
Bożena Tyliszczak
Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Materials Engineering and Physics, Cracow University of Technology, 37 Jana Pawła II Av., 31-864 Krakow, Poland
In recent years, many investigations on the development of innovative dressing materials with potential applications, e.g., for cytostatics delivery, have been performed. One of the most promising carriers is albumin, which tends to accumulate near cancer cells. Here, chitosan-based hydrogels containing albumin spheres and Aloe vera juice, designed for the treatment of skin cancers or burn wounds resulting from radiotherapy, were developed. The presence of albumin in hydrogel matrices was confirmed via Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy. Albumin spheres were clearly visible in microscopic images. It was proved that the introduction of albumin into hydrogels resulted in their increased resistance to the tensile load, i.e., approximately 30% more force was needed to break such materials. Modified hydrogels showed approximately 10% more swelling ability. All hydrogels were characterized by hydrophilicity (contact angles were Aloe vera juice more effectively in an acidic environment than in a neutral one wherein spheres introduced into the hydrogel matrix extended the release time. Thus, the developed materials, due to their chemical composition and physicochemical properties, constitute promising materials with great application potential for biomedical purposes.