The application of poly (acrylic Acid)-whey protein isolate amyloid Fibril–derived hybrid hydrogels in drug delivery
Journal
Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology
Journal Volume
113
Start Page
107299
ISSN
1773-2247
Date Issued
2025-11
Author(s)
Chang, Chia-Yu
Hsu, Ti-Lun
Lai, You-Ren
Wu, Josephine W.
How, Su-Chun
Lin, Ta-Hsien
Abstract
Annually, the dairy industry generates large amounts of whey byproducts. Whey, as a waste product, can pose serious environmental risks if discharged into water bodies. Whey protein isolate (WPI), containing over 90 % protein, is a valuable resource for both food products and biomaterials. This study is aimed at developing whey protein isolate amyloid fibril (WPI-F)-based hybrid hydrogels, which is considered an approach for the valorization of whey. PAA-WPI-F hydrogels were synthesized by combining WPI-F and acrylic acid (AA) through graft polymerization. The effects of WPI-F content on the surface microstructure, rheological properties, surface charge, pore size distribution, and swelling behavior of PAA-WPI-F hydrogels were examined. The resulting PAA-WPI-F hydrogels were found to exhibit improved mechanical properties upon the incorporation of amyloid fibrils. Next, the in vitro drug release behavior of PAA-WPI-F hydrogels was investigated using two ionic compounds with opposite charges, metformin and vitamin C. The collected kinetic data were analyzed against various kinetic models to gain insights into the underlying drug release mechanisms. Our results showed that the release of drugs in aqueous solution or in transdermal systems was primarily governed by swelling or diffusion, respectively. In addition, the drug release kinetic parameters were found to be correlated with the WPI-F content. Finally, the potential of applying PAA-WPI-F hydrogels in iontophoretic transdermal drug delivery systems was further examined. This study highlights the potential of applying amyloid fibril-derived hybrid materials in the field of drug delivery.
Subjects
Amyloid fibril
Hybrid hydrogel
Iontophoretic drug delivery
Poly (acrylic acid)
Whey protein isolate
SDGs
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Type
journal article