Development of alginate and agar hydrogels through cross-linking with Ca-EDTA for 3D printing

• Grant number: 23/11505-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• End date: November 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Ivanise Guilherme Branco
• Grantee: João Marcos Zacarias da Cruz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil

Abstract

3D printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing, offers extensive applications across various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, bone tissue engineering, among others. The goal of this project is to develop an alginate-based hydrogel extracted from brown seaweed of the Sargassum genus, with the aim of using it in 3D printing. To achieve this, the ability of alginate (in nature and commercial) to associate with the cationic ion Ca-EDTA will be evaluated, which is used for crosslinking the alginate, through rheological studies of viscosity. Additionally, the effect of the medium's pH on the rheological characteristics of the hydrogel complexed with Ca-EDTA will be investigated. The project also aims to initiate the development of a hybrid hydrogel based on alginate and agar agar, crosslinked with Ca-EDTA, with the goal of creating a matrix for 3D printing, thus providing an alternative method to protect active compounds.