Stimuli-responsive smart materials for biomedical applications have gained significant attention because of their potential for selectivity and sensitivity in biological systems. Even though ample stimuli-responsive materials are available, the use of traditional Ayurvedic compounds in the fabrication of pharmaceuticals is limited. Among the various materials, gels are one of the essential classes because of molecular-level tunability with little effort from the environment. In this paper, we report on a simple synthesis of multifunctional glycolipids achieved using a starting material derived from biologically significant natural molecules and carbohydrates in good yields. The synthesized glycolipids were prone to form a hydrogel by creating a 3-D fibrous architecture. The mechanism of bottom-up assembly involving the molecular-level interaction was studied in detail using SEM, XRD, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy. The stability, processability, and thixotropic behavior of hydrogel were investigated by rheological measurements and identified as more suitable for biomedical applications. To evaluate the potential application of the self-assembled hydrogel in the field of medicine, we have encapsulated a natural drug, curcumin, into a gel and studied its pH as a stimuli-responsive release profile. Interestingly, the encapsulated drug is released both in acidic and basic pH levels at a different rate identified using UV-vis spectroscopy. It is worth mentioning that the gelator used for fabricating smart soft material displays potential in selectively compacting the biofilm formed by Streptococcus pneumoniae significantly. We believe the reported multifunctional hydrogel derived from bhilawanol-based glycolipid holds great promise in medicine.
You have access to this