| Title: | 3D printed curcuminoid-loaded nanocellulose–alginate scaffolds with tunable mechanical and diffusion-controlled release properties |
|---|
| Authors: | ID Slaček, Gal (Author)
ID Kotnik, Petra (Author)
ID Knez, Željko (Author)
ID Knez Marevci, Maša (Author)
ID Hribernik, Silvo (Author)
ID Stana-Kleinschek, Karin (Author)
ID Mohan, Tamilselvan (Author) |
|---|
| Files: |  polysaccharides-07-00084.pdf (2,81 MB)
MD5: 86ED9D7A44CC389A0AD8E8FC41574932
 https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4176/7/3/84
|
|---|
| Language: | English |
|---|
| Work type: | Article |
|---|
| Typology: | 1.01 - Original Scientific Article |
|---|
| Organization: | FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
MF - Faculty of Medicine
FERI - Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
|
|---|
| Abstract: | This study reports the fabrication of curcuminoid-loaded nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC)– alginate scaffolds via extrusion-based 3D printing, integrating supercritical CO2 extraction with biofabrication. NFC–alginate inks were pre-crosslinked with CaCl2 (1 to 10 mM) to tune structure and properties. Rheological analysis confirmed shear-thinning behavior suitable for extrusion printing. Mechanical testing revealed a non-linear dependence on crosslinking: optimal performance was achieved by Ink 2 (1 mM CaCl2 with curcuminoid extract), with tensile strength increasing from ~0.60 to ~0.80 MPa and Young’s modulus from ~1.5 to ~3.0 MPa relative (Ink 1, 10 mM CaCl2, without extract), reflecting the combined effect of extract incorporation and ionic pre-crosslinking rather than crosslinker concentration alone; higher crosslinking reduced stiffness (~1.15 MPa). SEM revealed porous architectures (Ink 1: 542 ± 63 μm; Ink 4: 398 ± 71 μm) with increasing structural heterogeneity upon curcuminoid incorporation. In vitro release exhibited biphasic, diffusion-dominated behavior, reaching ~50 to 60% in ethanol-containing media; PBS inclusion as a physiological reference confirmed minimal release (<5%), consistent with the known hydrophobicity and pH-dependent instability of curcuminoids and defining the physicochemical delivery boundaries of the system. The highest release (~372 ng/mL) was achieved at intermediate loading (10×). Kinetic modeling confirmed Higuchi-type diffusion as the dominant mechanism (R2 ≈ 0.90 to 0.99). These results establish a clear structure–property–release relationship and position the scaffolds as a tunable, diffusioncontrolled delivery platform for hydrophobic bioactives in topical or formulation-assisted applications employing co-solvents or solubilizing excipients. |
|---|
| Keywords: | nanocellulose, alginate, curcumin extract, supercritical-CO2, ionic-crosslinking, kinetic release and mechanical properties, 3D-printing |
|---|
| Publication status: | Published |
|---|
| Publication version: | Version of Record |
|---|
| Submitted for review: | 21.04.2026 |
|---|
| Article acceptance date: | 07.07.2026 |
|---|
| Publication date: | 11.07.2026 |
|---|
| Publisher: | MDPI |
|---|
| Year of publishing: | 2026 |
|---|
| Number of pages: | 25 str. |
|---|
| Numbering: | Letn. 7, št. 3, št. članka 84 |
|---|
| PID: | 20.500.12556/DKUM-98889  |
|---|
| UDC: | 66 |
|---|
| ISSN on article: | 2673-4176 |
|---|
| COBISS.SI-ID: | 284703491 |
|---|
| DOI: | 10.3390/polysaccharides7030084 |
|---|
| Publication date in DKUM: | 15.07.2026 |
|---|
| Views: | 310 |
|---|
| Downloads: | 13 |
|---|
| Metadata: |    |
|---|
| Categories: | Misc.
|
|---|
|
:
|
Copy citation |
|---|
| | | | Average score: | (0 votes) |
|---|
| Your score: | Voting is allowed only for logged in users. |
|---|
| Share: |  |
|---|
Hover the mouse pointer over a document title to show the abstract or click
on the title to get all document metadata. |
