A Review on Gelatin Based Hydrogels for Medical Textile Applications

Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymer networks that absorb any kind of liquid including biological fluids. Natural polymers and their derivatives along with synthetic polymers are used to form the hydrogels. Networks that constitute the hydrogels are created by the crosslinking of either synthesized polymers starting from monomers or already developed polymers. Crosslinking can be developed either physically if secondary intermolecular forces are involved or chemically in which a covalent bond between polymeric chains is created. Gelatins are natural driven protein polymers. One of the main biopolymers used for producing hydrogels is gelatin. Gelatin has a very wide application other than hydrogels. In this review, hydrogels and their property and synthesis mechanism, as well as their application in biomedical along with gelatin chemistry and application, are reviewed. Due to its nonimmunogenicity, nontoxicity, low cost, and high availability gelatin-based hydrogels could find applications in drug delivery carrier, bioink, transdermal therapy, wound healing, and tissue repair. The beneficiation of gelatin can result in their sustainable conversion into high-value biomaterials on the proviso of the existence or development of cost-effective, sustainable technologies for converting this biopolymer into useful bioproducts.