Hyaluronic Acid Ultra-Porous Scaffolds Reinforced with Low Quantities of Graphene Oxide: Influence on the Delivery of Curcumin and Bacterial Inhibition

Abstract

In this study, the influence of (i) the degree of crosslinking and (ii) incorporating small amounts of graphene oxide—up to 0.2% by mass—into the matrix of ultra-porous hyaluronic acid scaffolds was analyzed in relation to their physicochemical and mechanical properties. Also studied was the effect of incorporating graphene oxide on the release profile of curcumin, a hydrophobic molecule of interest in tissue engineering, plus the potential antibacterial activity of graphene oxide against Escherichia coli, E.coli. This paper describes the development of a hybrid ultra-porous material composed of crosslinked hyaluronic acid and graphene oxide, representing a significant advance in the field of nanomedicine. The resulting material enables dual control over the release kinetics of curcumin, a compound with high pharmacological potential and neuroprotective properties.