Tannic Acid-Enhanced Gelatin-Based Composite Hydrogel as a Candidate for Canine Periodontal Regeneration

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Periodontal disease in dogs leads to progressive bone loss and adversely impacts overall health. However, cost-effective regenerative strategies are still limited in veterinary practice. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a novel tannic acid (TA)-gelatin-based hydrogel (Gel), incorporating graphene oxide (GO) and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HA), as a potential barrier material for guided tissue regeneration (GTR) applications. The hydrogels-Gel, Gel-GO, Gel-HA, and Gel-GO-HA-were characterized for chemical structure, molecular interactions, surface morphology, nanoparticle dispersion, and tensile strength. Cytotoxicity was assessed using L929 fibroblasts (ISO 10993-5), while cell viability/proliferation, morphology, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) production were evaluated using canine periodontal ligament-derived cells. Results show that crosslinking with tannic acid enhanced the incorporation of graphene oxide and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles via hydrogen bonding into TA-gelatin-based hydrogels. This combination increased surface roughness, reduced degradation rate, and enabled shape memory behavior, critical for guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membranes. The extracts from Gel-HA-GO showed that cytotoxicity was both time- and concentration-dependent in L929 fibroblasts, whereas enhanced cell proliferation and increased ALP production were observed in cultures derived from canine periodontal ligament cells. These findings suggest that TA-gelatin-based hydrogels incorporating GO and HA demonstrated favorable mechanical and physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and osteogenic potential. These attributes suggest their viability as a promising composite for the development of innovative GTR strategies to address periodontal tissue loss in veterinary medicine.

Source: Gels

DOI: 10.3390/gels11080650

Authors: Laura C. Pinho, Marta Ferreira, Angélica Graça, Joana Marto, Bruno Colaço, Maria Helena Fernandes, Catarina Santos

Institutions: University of Lisbon, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Universidade do Porto, Universidade Politécnica de Setúbal, Rede de Química e Tecnologia, Instituto Superior Técnico, Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agro-Ambientais e Biologicas, Centro de Ciência Animal e Veterinária

Language: English

Topic: Periodontal Regeneration and Treatments

Subfield: Urology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,534

Funders: Universidade de Lisboa, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro

OpenAlex ID: W4413348410