Modification of Collagen Derivatives with Water-Soluble Polymers for the Development of Cross-Linked Hydrogels for Controlled Release.

Novel cross-linked hydrogels were synthesized as potential materials for the development of smart biofertilizers. For this purpose, hydrogels were prepared using collagen hydrolysate recovered from tannery waste. The water-soluble polymer poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (P(SSNa-co-GMAx)) was among others used for the cross-linking reaction that combined hydrophilic nature with epoxide groups. The synthetic procedure was thoroughly investigated in order to ensure high percentage of epoxide groups in combination with water-soluble behavior. The copolymer did not show cytotoxicity against normal lung, skin fibroblasts, or nasal polyps fibroblasts. Through the present work, we also present the ability to control the properties of cross-linked hydrogels by altering copolymer's composition and cross-linking parameters (curing temperature and time). Hydrogels were then studied in terms of water-uptake capacity for a period up to six days. The techniques Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (