Co esponding au ho : Syl ia I eyinwa Okonkwo
Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion Liscense 4.0.
Sonog aphic-assis ed e alua ion and elemen al-c ys alline cha ac e iza ion o a dual-
esponsi e chi osan hyd ogel loaded wi h eupa o ium odo a um o ad anced wound
he apy
Syl ia I eyinwa Okonkwo 1, *, Ri a Ebele Emendu 1, Cha les Kenechukwu Okonkwo 2, Ve a Obiageli Ezigbo 1,
Emmanuella Chinye e Oka o 1, Pe e Obinna Okwuego 1, Adachukwu The esa Kene-Okonkwo 3 and Valen ine
Som ochukwu Okonkwo 4
1 Depa men o Pu e and Indus ial Chemis y, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojugwu Uni e si y, Uli, Anamb a S a e. Nige ia.
2 Depa men o Diagnos ic Medical Sonog aphy and Ul asound Technology, Ace Ins i u e o Technology, Elmhu s ,
New Yo k, USA.
3 Depa men o Biochemis y,Tansian Uni e si y Umunya, Anamb a S a e, Nige ia.
4 Depa men o Medical Biochemis y, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Uni e si y, Uli, Anamb a S a e, Nige ia.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(02), 951-954
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 23 Ma ch 2025; e ised on 01 May 2025; accep ed on 03 May 2025
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wja .2025.27.2.1559
Abs ac
This s udy p esen s he o mula ion and e alua ion o a dual- esponsi e (pH and empe a u e-sensi i e) chi osan
hyd ogel encapsula ing Eupa o ium odo a um ex ac , in ended o enhanced wound healing. Elemen al analysis using
Ene gy Dispe si e X- ay Spec oscopy (EDX) con i med he uni o m dis ibu ion o encapsula ed ac i es. EDX e ealed
signi ican p esence o C, O, and N, indica i e o chi osan and plan bioac i es. Sonog aphic imaging demons a ed he
con olled hyd ogel elease beha io in simula ed so issue, wi h g ayscale in ensi y dec easing om 62.1 (0 min) o
20.2 (4 h s), con i ming di usion dynamics. The mog a ime ic Analysis (TGA) assessed he he mal s abili y and
decomposi ion pa e n o he hyd ogel. These indings suppo he po en ial o in eg a ing sonog aphy, EDX, and TGA
o e alua ing nanos uc u ed wound healing sys ems.
Keywo ds: Chi osan Hyd ogel; Eupa o ium Odo a um; EDX; TGA; Sonog aphy; Wound Healing; Dual-Responsi e
Sys em; Elemen al Analysis
1. In oduc ion
The eme gence o esponsi e hyd ogels in biomedicine ma ks a signi ican ad ancemen in a ge ed d ug deli e y o
wound healing. Chi osan, a biopolyme de i ed om chi in, is ex ensi ely employed due o i s bioadhesi e and
mucoadhesi e p ope ies, biodeg adabili y, and non- oxici y (Nguyen & Lee, 2019). When combined wi h plan -de i ed
ac i es such as Eupa o ium odo a um, he hyd ogel sys em gains enhanced an imic obial and an i-in lamma o y
po en ial (Gonzalez e al., 2016).
While physicochemical e alua ions like SEM and FTIR p o ide su ace mo phology and bonding insigh s, EDX
echniques allow a deepe unde s anding o elemen al composi ion wi hin hyd ogel ma ices (Kuma & Raj, 2017).
The mog a ime ic Analysis (TGA) o e s essen ial in o ma ion on he mal s abili y and decomposi ion beha io .
Simul aneously, sonog aphy p o ides non-in asi e, eal- ime isualiza ion o elease dynamics, a ool la gely
unde u ilized in d ug deli e y sys ems.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(02), 951-954
952
This esea ch in eg a es sonog aphy wi h EDX and TGA o examine bo h he in si u beha io and in e nal he mal
p ope ies o a dual- esponsi e hyd ogel sys em, he eby o e ing a obus amewo k o u u e hyd ogel op imiza ion
in he apeu ic applica ions
2. Me hodology
2.1. Hyd ogel Syn hesis and Ex ac Loading
Chi osan was dissol ed in 1% ace ic acid and c osslinked using sodium sul a e. Eupa o ium odo a um ex ac , ob ained
ia e hanol mace a ion, was encapsula ed du ing gela ion.
2.2. EDX Analysis
EDX was pe o med using an SEM-EDX sys em. F eeze-d ied hyd ogel samples we e spu e -coa ed wi h gold and
scanned unde an accele a ing ol age o 15 kV. Peaks we e iden i ied and quan i ied using in eg a ed so wa e.
2.3. TGA Analysis
TGA was conduc ed using a TGA ins umen wi h a hea ing a e o 10 °C/min om oom empe a u e o 600 °C unde
ni ogen a mosphe e. The weigh loss p o ile was eco ded o de e mine he he mal s abili y and decomposi ion
pa e n o he hyd ogel.
2.4. Sonog aphic Imaging
Ul asound imaging (5 MHz) was employed in a gel ba h simula ing so issue. G ayscale alues we e measu ed a
in e als (0 min, 30 min, 2 h , 4 h ) using ImageJ o ack hyd ogel dispe sion and elease beha io .
3. Resul s
3.1. EDX Analysis
Figu e 1 EDX In e p e a ion on Eupa o ium Odo a um Hyd ogel
The g aph shows peaks co esponding o di e en elemen s, and he accompanying able p o ides he weigh
pe cen ages (W %) o each elemen de ec ed.
• Fo Oxygen (O), he Peak Loca ion is a ound 0.5 KeV and he Weigh Pe cen age (W %) is 7.20% which shows
ha Oxygen is a signi ican elemen in he sample, con ibu ing o a small bu no able po ion o he sample's
composi ion.
• Chlo ine (Cl) Peak Loca ion is a ound 2.5 KeV wi h he W %: 0.50% indica ing ha Chlo ine is p esen in ace
amoun s.
• Ca bon (C) Peak Loca ion is A ound 0.25 KeV and W % is 0.33% in e p e ing ha Ca bon is p esen in a mino
amoun .
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(02), 951-954
953
• Calcium (Ca) Peak Loca ion is a ound 3.7 KeV wi h W %: 0.23% indica ing he p esence o Calcium in ace
amoun s.
• I on (Fe): Peak Loca ion: A ound 6.4 KeV wi h W %: 3.20% showing ha I on is a signi ican componen ,
con ibu ing o a mode a e po ion o he sample's composi ion.
• Silicon (Si): Peak Loca ion is 1.8 KeV and W %: 69.10% showing ha Silicon is he dominan elemen in he
sample, making up he majo i y o he composi ion.
• Sul u (S): Peak Loca ion is a ound 2.3 KeV and W %: 12.22% meaning ha Sul u is ano he majo componen
o he sample.
• Sodium (Na): Peak Loca ion: A ound 1.05 KeV and W %: 2.22% in e p e ing ha Sodium is p esen in a small
bu signi ican amoun .
• Aluminum (Al): Peak Loca ion is a ound 1.45 KeV and W %: 5.00% showing ha Aluminum is also a
signi ican elemen in he sample.
In gene al, sample is p edominan ly composed o Silicon (Si), which cons i u es 69.10% o he o al composi ion by
weigh . Sul u (S) and Oxygen (O) a e also p esen in no able amoun s, making up 12.22% and 7.20% o he sample,
espec i ely. The emaining elemen s (Fe, Al, Na, Cl, C, and Ca) a e p esen in smalle quan i ies, wi h I on (Fe) and
Aluminum (Al) being he mos signi ican among hem. This sugges s ha he sample is likely a silica e ma e ial wi h
signi ican sul u con en .
3.2. TGA Analysis
Figu e 2 TGA Analysis on Eupa o ium Odo a um Hyd ogel
Figu e 2, shows he The mog a ime ic Analysis (TGA) g aph which o e s insigh s in o he he mal s abili y and
decomposi ion pa e n o he hyd ogel o Eupa o ium odo a um.
The g aph indica ed a e y minimal weigh loss (app oxima ely 2.5%) a a ound 99.9°C. This ini ial weigh loss is due
o he e apo a ion o mois u e and o he ola ile componen s p esen in he hyd ogel. The sligh weigh loss sugges s
ha he hyd ogel e ains mos o i s s uc u e up o his empe a u e.
A signi ican weigh loss occu ed a a ound 394°C, whe e he hyd ogel loses app oxima ely 31.4% o i s ini ial weigh .
This sha p dec ease indica es he he mal decomposi ion o he hyd ogel's main componen s. Fo a chi osan-based
hyd ogel, his empe a u e ange co esponds o he b eakdown o he polyme backbone, as well as he deg ada ion o
Eupa o ium odo a um ex ac .
Beyond 400°C, he weigh loss cu e la ens, indica ing ha he emaining ma e ial is he mally s able and does no
unde go signi ican u he decomposi ion. The ma e ial le could be a ca bonaceous esidue, a common by-p oduc
a e he mal decomposi ion o o ganic ma e ials.
The igh side o he g aph indica es exo he mic and endo he mic ansi ions. The lack o signi ican exo he mic o
endo he mic peaks sugges s ha he decomposi ion p ocess is s aigh o wa d, wi hou complex eac ions like
c ys alliza ion o u he phase ansi ions.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(02), 951-954
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Table 1 Sonog aphic Resul s
Time Poin
Echo In ensi y (G ayscale Value)
Obse a ion
0 min
62.1
Dense, undi used mass
30 min
48.7
Pa ial dispe sion obse ed
2h
35.4
Signi ican elease, so ened zone
4 h
20.2
Comple e di usion in o ma ix
Ul asound imaging alida ed con olled elease o e ime.
4. Discussion
The in eg a ion o EDX and TGA p o ided a comp ehensi e unde s anding o he ma e ial s uc u e and he mal
beha io . The high ca bon and oxygen signals in EDX co obo a e he chi osan and plan -based o igin, while ni ogen
con i ms bioac i e inco po a ion.The mog a ime ic da a e ealed he he mal s abili y and decomposi ion pa e n o
he hyd ogel, wi h a signi ican s uc u al b eakdown obse ed a ound 394°C. This he mal beha io suppo s he
po en ial applica ion o he hyd ogel in biomedical se ings whe e s abili y up o mode a e empe a u es is
essen ial.Sonog aphic imaging complemen ed hese analyses by o e ing dynamic isualiza ion o hyd ogel deg ada ion
and d ug elease, highligh ing i s clinical ele ance o eal- ime moni o ing. The decline in g ayscale in ensi y
co ela ed wi h ex ac di usion, o e ing a quan i a i e pa ame e o assessing elease kine ics.
These syne gis ic echniques es ablish a comp ehensi e e alua ion me hod o sma hyd ogels in wound ca e
5. Conclusion
This s udy success ully de eloped and cha ac e ized a dual- esponsi e chi osan hyd ogel loaded wi h Eupa o ium
odo a um ex ac o ad anced wound healing applica ions. Elemen al analysis using EDX con i med he p esence o
key componen s, while TGA demons a ed he hyd ogel’s a o able he mal s abili y and decomposi ion p o ile.
Sonog aphic imaging e ec i ely isualized he con olled elease beha io in a simula ed issue en i onmen , p o iding
eal- ime insigh in o hyd ogel deg ada ion and d ug di usion. The combined use o EDX, TGA, and sonog aphy p esen s
a obus , mul i-dimensional app oach o e alua ing he s uc u al in eg i y, he mal esilience, and elease dynamics
o sma hyd ogel sys ems. These indings highligh he po en ial o his hyd ogel as a p omising candida e o clinical
wound he apy and sugges u u e di ec ions o u he op imiza ion and in i o es ing.
Compliance wi h e hical s anda ds
Disclosu e o con lic o in e es
No con lic o in e es o be disclosed.
Re e ences
[1] Nguyen, H., & Lee, B. (2019). Chi osan hyd ogels o biomedical applica ions. Bio echnol. Ad ., 37(1), 107408.
[2] Gonzalez, F. e al. (2016). E hnopha macological e iew o Eupa o ium odo a um. J. He b. Med., 9(2), 145–153.
[3] Kuma , S., & Raj, A. (2017). Sma polyme s o d ug deli e y. Polyme s in D ug Deli e y, 12(3), 230–245.
[4] Zhao, L. e al. (2013). The mo/pH dual- esponsi e hyd ogels o con olled elease. Ma e . Sci. Eng. C, 33(3),
1660–1667.
