Gellan gum–based nanocomposite hydrogels

Gellan gum is a natural biocompatible polysaccharide that can be produced through microbial fermentation and is gaining great attention in various industries due to its unique structural and physicochemical characteristics. The gellan gum–based hydrogels are commonly formed through chemical and physical crosslinking techniques, such as ionotropic, thermotropic, and pH-induced gelation. The introduction of nanoparticles into gellan gum hydrogels leads to the synthesis of versatile nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical strength, thermal stability, and swelling behavior. The nanocomposite hydrogels have potential applications in various biomedical fields, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and antimicrobial packaging. The present chapter involves the description of the structure of the gellan gum–based nanocomposite hydrogels and synthesis methods. The crosslinking methods and nanoparticles incorporation approach as structural modification techniques are discussed in the following. Finally, the biomedical application of gellan gum–based nanocomposite hydrogels, such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, wound dressing/cancer therapy, and antibacterial hydrogels/packaging, are discussed through this chapter.