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Alginate-Based Gels: Preparation, Characterization and Application (2nd Edition)
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Alginate-Based Gels: Preparation, Characterization and Application (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 4810

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cheng Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
Interests: drug delivery; smart-responsive; hydrogel; nanoparticle
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Kongyin Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, National Center for International Joint Research on Separation Membranes, School of Material Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China
Interests: alginate hydrogel; alginate composite material; filtration membrane; adsorption and separation; protein molecular imprinting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are grateful to all authors, reviewers, and readers for their responses to the first Edition of our Special Issue on “Alginate-Based Gels: Preparation, Characterization and Application”. You can access these articles for free via the link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/gels/special_issues/Alginate_Gels

This Special Issue on “Alginate-based Gels: Preparation, Characterization and Application” is dedicated to recent developments from theoretical and fundamental aspects to the synthesis, characterization, and applications of alginate-based gels. Within this context, a broad range of subjects, including structure and characterization, molecular modeling and simulation, and applications will be discussed.

Under the severe situation of the gradual depletion of petrochemical resources and the requirements of carbon neutralization, it is urgent to develop new materials for sustainable development. Alginate is a natural polysaccharide extracted from algae. Alginate presents high biocompatibility, low toxicity and ease of gelation by the addition of divalent cations such as Ca2+. Alginate gel is widely used in food, medical, tissue engineering, daily chemical, textile, printing, dyeing, biotechnology and wastewater treatment. It can be used to produce ice cream, beverages, food, adhesives, thickeners, slow-release materials, medical dressing, dental materials, facial mask, printing paste, water treatment agents, welding rods, paper additives and other products.

As a natural polymer, alginate has a complex and changeable structure and molecular weight distribution. Owing to the complexity of the interactions in alginate gel, an understanding of these materials has been slow to develop despite the importance of alginate gels. Alginate gel mostly has low mechanical strength. Mechanical damage easily occurs during the use process, and the performance of the gel is greatly reduced after being damaged. Progress in this field requires an interdisciplinary effort to accomplish a more detailed understanding of the structure and interactions that define the behavior of complex polyelectrolyte systems and makes it possible to tailor the properties of these materials. It is hoped that the topics will stimulate new research and discoveries in the field of alginate gels.

Dr. Cheng Hu
Dr. Kongyin Zhao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • alginate hydrogel 
  • alginate gel 
  • alginate composite material
  • synthesis and characterization of alginate
  • applications of alginate
  • theory and simulation of alginate

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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23 pages, 4239 KiB  
Article
Alginate–Gelatin Hydrogel Scaffold Model for Hypoxia Induction in Glioblastoma Embedded Spheroids
by Janette del Rocío Aguilera-Marquez, Alejandro Manzanares-Guzmán, Lorena García-Uriostegui, Alejandro A. Canales-Aguirre, Tanya A. Camacho-Villegas and Pavel H. Lugo-Fabres
Gels 2025, 11(4), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11040263 - 2 Apr 2025
Viewed by 733
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive and malignant brain tumor, characterized by hypoxia in its microenvironment, which drives its growth and resistance to treatments. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) plays a central role in GBM progression by regulating cellular adaptation to low oxygen availability, [...] Read more.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive and malignant brain tumor, characterized by hypoxia in its microenvironment, which drives its growth and resistance to treatments. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) plays a central role in GBM progression by regulating cellular adaptation to low oxygen availability, promoting processes such as angiogenesis and cell invasion. However, studying and modeling GBM under hypoxic conditions is complex, especially due to the limitations of animal models. In this study, we developed a glioma spheroid model using an alginate–gelatin hydrogel scaffold, which enabled the simulation of hypoxic conditions within the tumor. The scaffold-based model demonstrated high reproducibility, facilitating the analysis of HIF-1α expression, a key protein in the hypoxic response of GBM. Furthermore, cell viability, the microstructural features of the encapsulated spheroids, and the water absorption rate of the hydrogel were assessed. Our findings validate the three-dimensional (3D) glioblastoma spheroids model as a valuable platform for studying hypoxia in GBM and evaluating new therapies. This approach could offer a more accessible and specific alternative for studying the tumor microenvironment and therapeutic resistance in GBM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alginate-Based Gels: Preparation, Characterization and Application (2nd Edition))
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14 pages, 12024 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Bacterial Cellulose/Alginate-Based Hydrogel and Frog Skin Dressings in Equine Skin Wound Healing
by Rita C. Campebell, Andressa B. Oliveira, Jéssyca L. A. Fagundes, Beatriz N. A. Fortes, Henrique C. Veado, Isabel L. Macedo, Bruno S. L. Dallago, Hernane S. Barud, José Adorno, Pablo A. V. Salvador, Paulo S. Santos and Márcio B. Castro
Gels 2025, 11(2), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11020107 - 3 Feb 2025
Viewed by 914
Abstract
This study evaluates the wound-healing process in horses following the application of two treatment modalities: bacterial cellulose hydrogel with alginate (BCAW) and frog skin (FSW) dressings on experimentally induced skin wounds. Throughout the experiment, no clinical abnormalities were noted in the horses, although [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the wound-healing process in horses following the application of two treatment modalities: bacterial cellulose hydrogel with alginate (BCAW) and frog skin (FSW) dressings on experimentally induced skin wounds. Throughout the experiment, no clinical abnormalities were noted in the horses, although initial wound assessments indicated edema and sensitivity. Local hemorrhage was observed in some cases on Day 0, with granulation tissue formation evident by Day 14. Epithelialization began around Day 14 but did not reach complete healing in any group by Day 28. The analysis showed no significant differences in skin wound area or wound contraction rates among the treatment groups compared to control wounds (CWs) over the evaluation periods. Histopathological evaluations also indicated no significant differences in inflammatory responses or healing markers, such as fibroblast proliferation and neovascularization in skin wounds across groups. Despite expectations based on prior research in other species, the treatments with BCAW and FSW did not demonstrate substantial pro-healing effects in horses with induced skin wounds. These findings underscore the complexity of equine wound healing and suggest further investigation is needed to optimize treatment strategies in this species and enhance the translational potential for human clinical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alginate-Based Gels: Preparation, Characterization and Application (2nd Edition))
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16 pages, 3008 KiB  
Article
Adsorption of Cr(VI) Using Organoclay/Alginate Hydrogel Beads and Their Application to Tannery Effluent
by Mayra X. Muñoz-Martinez, Iván F. Macías-Quiroga and Nancy R. Sanabria-González
Gels 2024, 10(12), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10120779 - 28 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1005
Abstract
The tanning industry is among the most environmentally harmful activities globally due to the pollution of lakes and rivers from its effluents. Hexavalent chromium, a metal in tannery effluents, has adverse effects on human health and ecosystems, requiring the development of removal techniques. [...] Read more.
The tanning industry is among the most environmentally harmful activities globally due to the pollution of lakes and rivers from its effluents. Hexavalent chromium, a metal in tannery effluents, has adverse effects on human health and ecosystems, requiring the development of removal techniques. This study assessed the efficacy of organobentonite/alginate hydrogel beads in removing Cr(VI) from a fixed-bed adsorption column system. The synthesized organobentonite (OBent) was encapsulated in alginate, utilizing calcium chloride as a crosslinking agent to generate hydrogel beads. The effects of the volumetric flow rate, bed height, and initial Cr(VI) concentration on a synthetic sample were analyzed in the experiments in fixed-bed columns. The fractal-like modified Thomas model showed a good fit to the experimental data for the asymmetric breakthrough curves, confirmed by the high R2 correlation coefficients and low χ2 values. The application of organoclay/alginate hydrogel beads was confirmed with a wastewater sample from an artisanal tannery industry in Belén (Nariño, Colombia), in which a Cr(VI) removal greater than 99.81% was achieved. Organobentonite/alginate hydrogels offer the additional advantage of being composed of a biodegradable polymer (sodium alginate) and a natural material (bentonite-type clay), resulting in promising adsorbents for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions in both synthetic and real water samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alginate-Based Gels: Preparation, Characterization and Application (2nd Edition))
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18 pages, 4171 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Dental Alginate with Syzygium aromaticum, Zingiber officinale and Green Silver Nanoparticles: A Nature-Enhanced Approach for Superior Infection Control
by Lamia Singer, Leonie Beuter, Sabina Karacic, Gabriele Bierbaum, Jesenko Karacic and Christoph Bourauel
Gels 2024, 10(9), 600; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10090600 - 20 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1466
Abstract
Objectives: The study addresses the challenge of cross-infection in dentistry, focusing on improving disinfection protocols for dental hydrocolloid gel materials. This research aimed to incorporate chlorhexidine, natural plant extracts, and green-synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into dental alginate to enhance safety and hygiene standards [...] Read more.
Objectives: The study addresses the challenge of cross-infection in dentistry, focusing on improving disinfection protocols for dental hydrocolloid gel materials. This research aimed to incorporate chlorhexidine, natural plant extracts, and green-synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into dental alginate to enhance safety and hygiene standards in dental practices. Methods: Conventional dental alginate served as the control, with experimental groups including alginate modified with 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX-group) and alginate incorporating AgNPs synthesized from Syzygium aromaticum (SA) and Zingiber officinale (ZO) extracts (SA + AgNPs and ZO + AgNPs groups). Plant extracts were analyzed via GC/MS to confirm their composition. UV–visible spectroscopy, SEM, and EDX characterized the synthesized AgNPs. Antimicrobial efficacy against Candida albicans, Streptococcus mutans, and methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated using agar well diffusion assays. The dimensional accuracy of alginate impressions was assessed according to ISO 21563:2021 standards. Results: Chemical analysis of SA and ZO extracts identified 60 and 43 active compounds, respectively, supporting their use in AgNP synthesis. UV–visible spectroscopy, SEM, and EDX confirmed the formation of spherical AgNPs using SA and ZO extracts. Modified groups showed inhibitory activity against Streptococcus mutans and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), in contrast to the unmodified control. Both AgNP-modified groups demonstrated efficacy comparable to the CHX-group against MRSA and MSSA, with SA + AgNP showing superior performance against C. albicans. The dimensional accuracy of all groups was within clinically acceptable ranges as reported in the literature (0.027–0.083 mm). Discussion: CHX, silver nitrate, and green-synthesized AgNPs present promising options for developing self-disinfecting alginate impression materials. Utilizing plant extracts in AgNP synthesis offers a safe, efficient, and synergistic approach between metal ions and phytotherapeutic agents. This approach could potentially enhance disinfection efficacy without compromising material performance, improving dental safety and hygiene. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alginate-Based Gels: Preparation, Characterization and Application (2nd Edition))
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