In situ forming aldehyde-modified xanthan/gelatin hydrogel for tissue engineering applications: synthesis, characterization, and optimization

Injectable hydrogels have attracted considerable attention in regenerative medicine since their controllable properties. However, there are quite a few challenges in regulating an ideal hydrogel's features for target tissue; overcoming them needs reliable fabrication techniques. In the present work, a novel in situ forming hydrogel based on aldehyde-modified xanthan gum (AXG) and gelatin (Gel) has been developed by taking advantage of Schiff's base reaction and optimized for the tissue engineering applications. First, the AXG with three different oxidation degrees has been successfully synthesized using sodium periodate. Later on, AXG and Gel were blended with different volume ratios. The prepared scaffolds were characterized by FTIR, SEM, rheometer, and compression analysis. In addition, the hydrogels gelation time, injectability, self-healing, and swelling ratios were studied. The results indicated that all hydrogels exhibited suitable morphological as well as physical characteristics for biomedical applications. Because of its high compression strength and modulus, high storage modulus, and suitable swelling behavior, the X1/G2 hydrogel sample was selected as the optimal scaffold. In vitro cell viability shows & GE; 90% cell viability, and MG-63 cells lingered at the surface of the hydrogel, indicating that hydrogels can provide a suitable substrate for cell viability and cell adhesion by in vitro cell culture assay. This study illustrated that the synthesized hydrogels could be reputable scaffolds for biomedical and tissue engineering applications; however, more studies are needed.Graphical abstractNovel polysaccharide-based hydrogels formed by Schiff's base reaction of aldehyde and amine groups, displaying suitable physicomechanical and biological properties for biomedical and tissue engineering applications.