Enhancing the properties of cellulose nanofibrils hydrogels with tragacanth gum and lignin nanoparticles

Plant-based hydrogels have been proposed for diverse biomedical applications since they are biocompatible and sustainable. Due to their similar structure to the extracellular matrix, they are excellent candidates for scaffolds. This work explores the potential of the polysaccharide tragacanth gum (TG) as part of plant-based multicomponent hydrogels that also include oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and spherical colloidal lignin particles (CLP) in their composition. By using TG in the composition, we have improved the hydrogels’ viscosity and printability into 3D scaffolds appropriate for tissue engineering. TG enhanced the rehydration, swelling and degradation of the scaffolds without affecting the antioxidant properties provided by the embedded CLP. The mechanical properties (compressive Young’ modulus) of the scaffolds were found to be similar as for soft tissue and can be modulated by varying the TG content. Cell viability revealed that the hydrogels were non-cytotoxic and suitable for cell attachment, and proliferation. Moreover, combining the effects of antioxidant activity of lignin, the analgesic effect of tragacanth gum with the rheological properties of cellulose nanofibrils make the hydrogel suitable for tissue engineering. Therefore, the utilization of TG in plant-based hydrogels offers unique opportunities to develop new biomaterials for medical and tissue engineering applications.