title: A bio-injectable algin-aminocaproic acid thixogel with tri-stimuli responsiveness.
abstract: In this article a novel bio-injectable algin-aminocaproic acid (Alg-ACA) tri-stimuli responsive thixogel system is reported. The designed soft thixotrophic hydrogel (thixogel) was characterized using various analytical techniques such as FT-IR, NMR, SEM, AFM and DSC. The soft thixogel system was further investigated for stress responsiveness using different rheological studies which confirmed the thixotropic nature of the gel [Thixotropic area (Ar) of Alg-ACA (1:0.5), Alg-ACA (1:1) and Alg-ACA (1:2), were 23.5%, 43.1%, and 27.59%, respectively, which were higher than that of Na-Alg (2.08%)]. The thixogel also demonstrated temperature and ultrasonication responsiveness. This tri-stimuli responsive soft thixogel system was rendered flowable (fluid) on applying the described physical stimuli and recovered its "rigid" gel structure upon removal of the applied stimuli. This approach of synthesizing a thixogels may be applicable to a broad variety of other natural polymers and has the potential for use in biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutics Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa.
authors.forename: Dharmesh R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Chejara
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutics Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa; Biomaterials Department, National Research Centre, 33 El-Bohouth St. (former El-Tahrir St.), P.O. 12622, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mabrouk
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutics Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ravindra V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Badhe
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutics Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa; Department of Pharmaceutics, M.M.U. College of Pharmacy, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Jameel A S
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mulla
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutics Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa.
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutics Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa.
authors.forename: Yahya E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Choonara
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutics Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa.
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: du Toit
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutics Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa. Electronic address: viness.pillay@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Viness
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pillay
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D015119:Aminocaproic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D007267:Injections; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D012212:Rheology; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D000069453:Ultrasonic Waves
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020100:Hydrogels; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D015119:Aminocaproic Acid
keywords: Aminocaproic acid; Injectable hydrogel; Sodium alginate; Stimuli-responsive; Thixothropy