Aloe vera Rind Valorization to Improve the Swelling Capacity of Commercial Acrylic Hydrogels

Abstract

Acrylic hydrogels have been used in agriculture to increase the availability of water in the soil; cause faster plant growth and increase plant survival to water stress; allow controlled release of fertilizers; and, therefore, increase crop yields. On the other hand, Aloe vera gel production generates a large amount of solid waste as cuticles, which is currently underutilized despite that it is a good source of cellulose nanofibers that could be used to improve the swelling capacity of commercial acrylic hydrogels. In this work, both morphology (SEM) and particle size (TEM) of the cellulose nanofibers obtained from A. vera cuticles by the acid hydrolysis method combined with ultrasound were analyzed; as well as the presence of functional groups (FITR) and thermal stability (TGA). Then, acrylic hydrogels were synthesized by the solution polymerization method, and nanofibers were added to these hydrogels at different concentrations (0% w w−1, 3% w w−1, 5% w w−1, and 10% w w−1). These concentrations had a nonlinear relationship with the swelling capacity, and the hydrogel reinforced at 3% cellulose nanofiber was chosen as the best formulation in this work, as this one improved the swelling capacity of hydrogels at equilibrium (476 g H2O g hydrogel−1) compared to the hydrogel without nanofiber (310 g H2O g hydrogel−1), while hydrogels with 10% nanofiber had a similar swelling capacity to the non-reinforced hydrogel (295 H2O g hydrogel−1). Therefore, cellulose-based superabsorbent hydrogels with potential application in agriculture were developed in this work.

Efecto de hidrogeles biodegradables sobre la retención de humedad y la germinación de alfalfa

“…Los análisis SEM, FITR, TEM y TGA mostraron la eficiencia de este método para obtener nanofibras. Además, se encontró que la inclusión de nanofibras de celulosa en hidrogeles comerciales no reforzados puede aumentar la capacidad de hinchamiento de estos materiales (Guancha-Chalapud et al 2022). También se ha reportado que el uso de un hidrogel a partir de quitosanopoliacrilamida en plantas de Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) retiene el agua y reduce la tasa de evaporación evitando marchitez y estrés por sequía hasta 10 y 7 días (suelo aluvial y rojo, respectivamente), incrementando el crecimiento de la plántula hasta 1.52 y 1.41 veces más con respecto al control (suelo aluvial y rojo, respectivamente) (Pandey y De 2017).…”

Antibacterial Aloe vera Based Biocompatible Hydrogel for Use in Dermatological Applications

“…Aloe vera , a medicinal plant that belongs to the Liliaceae family, is widely used in cosmetics, food products and medicine [ 34 ]. The global Aloe vera hydrogel market was assessed at USD 337.7 million in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 712.3 million by 2032, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8% from 2022 to 2032, higher than the estimated CAGR for the period 2017–2022 (of approximately 6%) [ 35 ]. Due to its composition, water (>98%) in the mucilaginous gel and ~2% minerals, vitamins, enzymes and polysaccharides (such as hemicellulose, cellulose, mannose derivatives, pectin, glucomannan and acemannan), Aloe vera possesses numerous antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, antiallergic, UV protection, cicatrizing, anti-inflammatory and antiviral therapeutic properties [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ].…”

Formulation of pH-responsive highly swellable hydrogel scaffolds for controlled release of tramadol HCl: characterization and biocompatibility evaluation

“…These bioactive components have effective antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects (Salehi et al, 2021). It has a significant action in enhancing the swelling of hydrogels (Guancha-Chalapud et al, 2022) and absorption of the drugs (Haasbroek et al, 2019). Tamarindus indica is mostly found in the South East Asian region, especially in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.…”