Designing carrageenan-based functional biomaterials by supra-molecular and covalent interactions for biomedical applications

The present investigation is an exploration of red sea weed carrageenan (CG) to expand its horizon for biomedical applications through functionalization for sustainable development. The primary goal of the present research work was to prepare a copolymeric material by the inclusion of sulfate moieties into hydrogels through covalent and supra-molecular interactions for drug delivery (DD) applications. Copolymers were characterized by field emission-scanning electron micrographs (FESEM), electron dispersion X-ray analysis (EDAX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) instrumentation. The FESEM, AFM and XRD analysis unveiled rough heterogeneous morphology and amorphous nature of hydrogels. FTIR and ¹³C NMR confirmed inclusion of poly (AAm) and poly (VSA) onto CG by grafting and crosslinking reactions. Hydrogels demonstrated blood compatible, mucoadhesive, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Hydrogels also revealed 179 % (Rhabdomyosarcoma) RD cell viability which indicated non-cytotoxicity to mammalian cells and promoted proliferation of cells. The release profile of the vancomycin drug followed non-Fickian diffusion and was best described by First order kinetic model. The results of physico-chemical properties demonstrated that these hydrogels have the potential for diverse biomedical applications, including DD.