Hydrogels based on gelatin, xanthan gum, and cellulose obtained by reactive extrusion and thermopressing processes

Polysaccharides and proteins are compatible macromolecules that can be used to obtain biopolymeric hydrogels through physical interactions. In this study, an environmentally friendly strategy is being proposed to produce gelatin-xanthan gum- cellulose hydrogels, without the addition of chemical synthetic crosslinkers. Xanthan gum was employed as an alternative crosslinking agent, and cellulose was used as a potential reinforcing agent in the polymeric matrix. Firstly, the biopolymers were mixed by the extrusion process, and glycerol was used as a plasticizer. Then, the polymeric mixture was molded by thermopressing to obtain hydrogels as laminated films. All hydrogels formulations resulted in films with smooth surfaces, without pores or cracks, resulting in amorphous polymeric matrices. The obtained hydrogels had a pH-dependent degree of swelling, the highest swelling values were obtained at pH 4 (5.3-7.9 g/g) after 24 h of immersion. Cellulose acted as a reinforcing agent for hydrogels, increasing thermal stability, tensile strength, and Young's modulus of films when employed at the higher level (7%). The strategy employed in this study to obtain nontoxic hydrogels without synthetic crosslinkers was effective, resulting in materials with promising properties to be used as pharmaceutical forms to deliver active compounds in cosmetic or pharmaceutical products.