Injectable chitosan-fibrin/nanocurcumin composite hydrogel for the enhancement of angiogenesis

The work focuses on the development of an injectable chitosan-fibrin (CF) based nanocomposite hydrogel for angiogenic response. The hydrogel base is made of chitosan gel, 3% (wt/wt) of which is composed of fibrin. The injectable nanocomposite gel was prepared by incorporating nanocurcumin (nC) 100–150 nm in size, with a zeta potential of + 33.5 ± 3 mV into the CF hydrogel. The gel was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and rheometry for the morphological and visco-elastic properties. Furthermore, cytocompatibility and angiogenic response of the CF hydrogel was analyzed with human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells. In vitro tube formation and nitric oxide release assay revealed the improved angiogenic behavior of the nanocomposite hydrogel when compared to the control. Further, angiogenesis was confirmed by ex vivo aortic sprouting assay. These studies suggest that the developed injectable chitosan-fibrin/nanocurcumin (CF/nC) hydrogel can be used for angiogenic stimulation.