Development of alginate-based composite hydrogels as 3D bio-printed scaffolds with defined patterns

Abstract

3D printing of hydrogels has emerged as a promising approach in tissue engineering, enabling accurate structural design and biomimetic environments that support cell growth, differentiation, and functional tissue regeneration. This study involves the development of a biocompatible formulation for 3D printing of hydrogels, mainly made from alginate polymer due to its advantageous biocompatibility and ionic crosslinking properties. To improve the hydrogel's mechanical features and biomimicry, gum Arabic and aloe vera were included into the hydrogel systems in different weight ratios. The formulation with alginate, gum Arabic, and aloe vera (4, 5 and 5% w/v, respectively) resulted in the best print fidelity and structural durability among the investigated compositions. Well-defined fiber patterns and interconnected pore networks were visualized by scanning electron microscopy, and shear-thinning behavior was validated by rheological analysis, suggesting that the material was suitable for extrusion-based printing. The existence of functional groups and efficient crosslinking was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy, and the robust gel structure was validated by higher storage moduli upon oscillatory strain sweep analysis. Additionally, the obtained hydrogel scaffolds were evaluated for their high cell-adhesion ability against L929 murine fibroblasts, which supports their potential as biocompatible scaffolds for use in tissue engineering.