Gleditsia sinensis galactomannan-based composite hydrogel with exceptional water retention

A novel epoxy-cross-linked hyaluronic acid/galactomannan composite hydrogel was prepared from Gleditsia sinensis using various alkyl glycidyl ethers as cross-linking agents. The morphological, physicochemical, and mechanical properties of the obtained hydrogels were comparatively investigated and discussed. The optimal composite hydrogel (GM/HDE/HA) exhibited high storage modulus (210 Pa), loss modulus (27.8 Pa), and water retention properties (95%). Hydrogels with high molecular weight (Mw) hyaluronic acid showed higher water retention properties than those with low-Mw hyaluronic acid (80% water retention properties). The molecular docking simulations of hyaluronic acid confirmed the higher formation energies of the high-Mw hyaluronic acid (-14.98 Kcal/mol) than that of the low-Mw hyaluronic acid (-6.90 Kcal/mol). This study offers a new design strategy for a water retention hydrogel by optimizing the cross-linked dimension with various-length polymer chains as cross-linkers. These remarkable advantages make hydrogels have enormous potential in the application of cosmetics and biomedical.