Genipin cross-linked chitosan hydrogel for the controlled release of tetracycline with controlled release property, lower cytotoxicity, and long-term bioactivity

To realize the controlled release property, lower cytotoxicity, and long-term bioactivity of tetracycline, the chitosan hydrogel had been prepared using genipin as the cross-linker and the tetracycline was in situ encapsulated. The formation process and strength of hydrogel were studied by rheological analysis, and the microtopography was observed by scanning electron microscope. It was found that the amount of genipin could modulate the physical property of the hydrogel. For in vitro release and antibacterial assays, the hydrogel could controllably release tetracycline and keep its bioactivity for a long time. The tetracycline-loaded chitosan hydrogel showed good antibacterial effect even under alkaline environment, which displayed better stability compared with free tetracycline. Moreover, the tetracycline-loaded chitosan hydrogel exhibited lower cytotoxicity than did tetracycline alone, suggesting that this tetracycline-loaded chitosan hydrogel could be a more useful dosage form than separate doses of tetracycline. The novel aspects of this study include the cytotoxicity study and the in vitro and in vivo assays, which might be useful for other researchers in this field.