Discovery of protein-based natural hydrogel from the girdle of the 'sea cockroach' Chiton articulatus (Chitonida: Chitonidae)

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Tarih

2022

Dergi Başlığı

Dergi ISSN

Cilt Başlığı

Yayıncı

PeerJ

Erişim Hakkı

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Özet

Hydrogels are widely used materials in biomedical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and agricultural fields. However, these hydrogels are usually formed synthetically via a long and complicated process involving crosslinking natural polymers. Herein, we describe a natural hydrogel isolated using a 'gentle' acid treatment from the girdle of a chiton species (Chiton articulatus). This novel hydrogel is shown to have a proliferative effect on mouse fibroblast cells (cell line, L929). The swelling capacity of this natural hydrogel was recorded as approximately 1,200% in distilled water, which is within desired levels for hydrogels. Detailed characterizations reveal that the hydrogel consists predominantly (83.93%) of protein. Considering its non-toxicity, proliferative effect and swelling properties, this natural hydrogel is an important discovery for material sciences, with potential for further applications in industry. Whether the girdle has some hydrogel activity in the living animal is unknown, but we speculate that it may enable the animal to better survive extreme environmental conditions by preventing desiccation.

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Anahtar Kelimeler

Proliferative Hydrogel, High Swelling Ratio, Chiton Articulatus, Physicochemical Properties

Kaynak

PeerJ

WoS Q Değeri

Q2

Scopus Q Değeri

Q1

Cilt

10

Sayı

-

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