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

Cakmak E., Koc-Bilican B., Avila-Poveda O. H., Karaduman T., CANSARAN DUMAN D., Williams S. T., ...Daha Fazla

PEERJ, cilt.10, 2022 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 10
  • Basım Tarihi: 2022
  • Doi Numarası: 10.7717/peerj.13386
  • Dergi Adı: PEERJ
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Proliferative hydrogel, High swelling ratio, Chiton articulatus, Physicochemical properties, MOLLUSCA-POLYPLACOPHORA, BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS, SWELLING BEHAVIOR, DRUG-DELIVERY, WATER, COMPOSITE, CLASSIFICATION, ADSORBENT, PROGRESS, STARCH
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

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.