International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, cilt.222, ss.2670-2682, 2022 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Herein, we report a multifunctional hydrogel membrane with good mechanical properties, excellent antioxidant efficiency, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. For this purpose, a series of chitosan–carboxymethyl cellulose–Pluronic P123 (CHT–CMC–P123) hydrogel membranes were prepared by blending various tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) contents. The physicochemical and biological properties of CHT–CMC–P123 membranes were comprehensively investigated. With the increase of TCH content from 5 % to 20 %, hydrogel membranes presented a decreased water contact angle from 18.96° to 11.24°, and a decreased water vapor transmission rate from 171.8 to 156.1 g/m2 h. Besides, with the increase of TCH content (5–20 %), the tensile strength (0.31–0.11 MPa) and elongation at break (10.57–4.82 %) of hydrogel membranes decreased while their thickness increased (113.5–324.3 μm). The data show that the release of TCH reached equilibrium after 26 days, with a cumulative percentage of approximately 28 %–87 %. Moreover, the hydrogel membranes exhibited a high antioxidant capacity of ~92 % for DPPH radical. Importantly, the incorporation of TCH significantly (~2.3 fold) enhanced the antimicrobial activity of the hydrogel membranes against Gram-positive, and Gram-negative bacteria and yeast. Based on our findings, these hydrogel membranes with superior properties may serve as effective food packaging and wound healing materials.