Page 192 - IJB-10-1

International Journal of Bioprinting Nanoclay biopolymer inks for 3D printing

Table 2. Continued
Sample Pressure Speed Number of Freeze-dried 3D-printed 3D-printed
(kPa) (mm/s) layers samples hydrogel samples
AV2C3 300–481 6–8 30

AV2C4 550–620 4–6 40

Table 3. Results from UV and gel fraction investigations to less than 53%–80%. This behavior can be attributed to
the addition of salecan to alginate hydrogel, which may
Sample Retained salecan (%) Gel fraction (%) suppress the formation of crosslinked alginate chains
AA0 0 86 and, as a result, greatly slow down the gelation process. In
AV1 97 80 the case of nanocomposite samples, as clay nanoparticles
AV2 89 76 content rose, composite hydrogel gel fractions slightly
AV3 60 53 increased. Thus, nomadic polysaccharides were probably
AV2C1 90 71 hindered by the presence of clay nanoparticles as observed
AV2C2 93 78 from the determination of salecan content. These findings
are consistent with earlier studies that showed that nanoclay
AV2C3 95 79 platelets can function as a barrier in an eluting agent’s
AV2C4 96 80 path. 40,41,54 A strategy useful in drug delivery applications
should be conceived. Thus, a bioactive agent may be added
structure, and second, the physical barrier created by clay to this nanocomposite hydrogel system, and the amount
platelets positioned within the polymeric matrix, which of salecan or clay partner inside an alginate matrix may be
limited salecan detachment. 38,43,54 optimized to adjust the drug’s release.

The gel fraction percentage in the absence of salecan
was determined to be 86%, indicating that the alginate 3.4. Swelling behavior of the 3D-printed constructs
networks were almost entirely crosslinked. At varied salecan Swelling analyses in media of different pH could
doses inside the alginate matrix, the gel fraction dropped provide useful information when attempting to obtain

Volume 10 Issue 1 (2024) 184 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.0967