New Hydrogels Based on Agarose/Phytagel and Peptides.

Short aromatic peptide derivatives, i.e. peptides or amino acids modified with aromatic groups, such as 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc), can self-assemble into extracellular matrix-like hydrogels due to their nanofibrillar architecture. Among different types of amino acids, lysine (Lys) and glycine (Gly) are involved in multiple physiological processes, being key factors in the proper growth of cells, carnitine production, and collagen formation. We have previously successfully presented the possibility of obtaining supramolecular gels based on Fmoc-Lys-Fmoc and short peptides such as Fmoc-Gly-Gly-Gly in order to use them as a substrate for cell cultures. In this paper, we investigated how the introduction of a gelling polymer can influence the properties of the network as well as the compatibility of the resulting materials with different cell types. A series of hydrogel compositions consisting of combinations of Fmoc-Lys-Fmoc and Fmoc-Gly-Gly-Gly with Agarose and Phytagel were thus obtained. All compositions formed structured gels as shown by rheological studies and scanning electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis evidenced the formation of H bonds between the polysaccharides and amino acids or short peptides. Moreover, all gels exhibited good cell viability on fibroblasts as demonstrated by a live-dead staining test and good in vivo biocompatibility, which highlights the great potential of these biomaterials for biomedical applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.