Development of epitope imprinted antimicrobial cryogel discs for tannic acid release

The molecular imprinting method allows for the synthesis of polymers sensitive to the desired molecule. Cryogels, one of these polymers, are gel matrices produced below the freezing temperature of the solvent. In contrast to many polymers containing toxic organic compounds as pore-forming agents, cryogels utilize ice crystals as the pore-forming material. Cryogels supported structurally by natural materials offer advantages such as biocompatibility, flexibility, and high mechanical stability, making them suitable for various applications like wound healing, tissue scaffolding, and drug release. In this study, the aim is to take advantage of the antimicrobial effects of Tannic acid molecules by preparing epitope-imprinted cryogel discs. These discs are intended to introduce a biomaterial with acute wound healing and antimicrobial properties to the literature. Biocompatible cryogels imprinted with gallic acid were prepared, and the goal was to impart antimicrobial properties by incorporating Tannic acid at different concentrations into the structure of the cryogels. The synthesized cryogels were characterized using FTIR, swelling tests, and SEM. Additionally, the cumulative release of Tannic acid from cryogel discs at different concentrations and their antimicrobial properties against S. aureus and E. coli were evaluated. The studies revealed that as the drug loading rate in the polymer increased, the release rate also increased. According to the power law, the exponent "n" was found to be less than 0.5, suggesting that the release mechanism in the prepared cryogel discs is non-Fickian diffusion. Keywords: Epitope-imprinted polymers, cryogel discs, tannic acid, controlled drug release systems, wound healing