Development of a Novel Antibacterial Hydrogel Scaffold Based on Guar Gum/Poly (methylvinylether-alt-maleic Acid) Containing Cinnamaldehyde-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles

In this study, we produced a novel chemical cross-linked Guar gum/Poly(methylvinylether-alt-maleicacid) (GG/PMVE-MA) hydrogels with various blending weight ratio of GG, and PMVE-MAn (GG/P20, GG/P40, and GG/P70). These produced hydrogels were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), swelling degree, and mechanical characteristics. The results demonstrated that with increasing PMVE-MAn content, thermal stability, swelling degree, and mechanical characteristics of hydrogels were improved. As a result, the GG/P70 hydrogel was selected as an optimal hydrogel. Moreover, MTT analysis indicated that these hydrogels were non-toxic and any reduction or stop of cells growth wasn't observed over time. Additionally, encapsulation of cinnamaldehyde (CA)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) into optimal hydrogel formulation significantly (P < 0.05) increased scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) radical about 60%. In addition, the inhibition capability of GG/P70/CA-loaded CSNPs hydrogel against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), demonstrating that the hydrogel had high antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The general results showed that this composite hydrogel (GG/P70/CA-loaded CSNPs) could be useful for various applications such as drug delivery, tissue engineering and food industry.