Preparation of gum tragacanth/poly (vinyl alcohol)/halloysite hydrogel using electron beam irradiation with potential for bone tissue engineering
Maryam Dehghan-Niri, Ebrahim Vasheghani‐Farahani, Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad, Moslem Tavakol, Fatemeh Bagheri
Abstract
Nanocomposite hydrogels based on tyramine conjugated gum tragacanth , poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were prepared by electron beam irradiation and characterized. The FTIR, 1 H NMR, and TGA results confirmed the chemical incorporation of HNTs into gum tragacanth. Gel content and swelling of hydrogels decreased with HNTs loading up to 20 % wt. The mechanical strength of hydrogels increased by increasing HNTs content up to 10 % with 371 kPa fracture stress at 0.95 fracture strain, compared to 312 kPa stress at 0.79 strain for gum tragacanth/PVA hydrogel. Hydrogel's biocompatibility and osteogenic activity were tested by seeding rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. The cell viability was >85 % after 7 days of culture. In vitro secretion of ALP and calcium deposition on hydrogels in alizarin red assay after 21 days of culture indicated hydrogel potential for bone tissue engineering.