In this study, ginger
residue from juice production was evaluated
as a raw material resource for preparation of nanofiber hydrogels
with multifunctional properties for advanced wound dressing applications.
Alkali treatment was applied to adjust the chemical composition of
ginger fibers followed by TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl
radical)-mediated oxidation prior to nanofiber isolation. The effect
of alkali treatment on hydrogel properties assembled through vacuum
filtration without addition of any chemical cross-linker was evaluated.
An outstanding absorption ability of 6200% combined with excellent
mechanical properties, tensile strength of 2.1 ± 0.2 MPa, elastic
modulus of 15.3 ± 0.3 MPa, and elongation at break of 25.1%,
was achieved without alkali treatment. Furthermore, the absorption
capacity was tunable by applying alkali treatment at different concentrations
and by adjusting the hydrogel grammage. Cytocompatibility evaluation
of the hydrogels showed no significant effect on human fibroblast
proliferation in vitro. Ginger essential oil was used to functionalize
the hydrogels by providing antimicrobial activity, furthering their
potential as a multifunctional wound dressing.
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