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Cellulose Gel – Properties, Applications, and Emerging Directions

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Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on Earth, has gained increasing scientific and industrial interest... Xem thêm

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Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on Earth, has gained increasing scientific and industrial interest due to its biodegradability, renewability, and unique physicochemical properties. When transformed into gel form, cellulose offers a versatile platform for applications across food, pharmaceutical, biomedical, and environmental sectors.

Properties of Cellulose Gel

Cellulose gel is formed through hydration, chemical modification, or nanostructuring of cellulose fibers. Its main properties include:

Biocompatibility – Non-toxic and safe for human use, making it suitable for drug delivery and wound healing (Lavoine & Bergström, 2017).

Viscoelasticity – Exhibits shear-thinning behavior, valuable for food thickeners and cosmetic formulations (Shi et al., 2021).

Water Retention – Ability to form stable hydrogels with high water content, useful in agriculture and biomedical scaffolds (Håkansson et al., 2014).

Tunable Structure – Nano- and micro-fibrillated cellulose gels can be engineered for strength, porosity, and functionality (Sehaqui et al., 2011).

Applications in Food and Nutrition

Cellulose gel is increasingly applied in food as a fat replacer, stabilizer, and texture enhancer. Its role in reducing calorie content without compromising mouthfeel is well documented (Chambers et al., 2019). Food innovation companies, including Ingreland, have explored cellulose gel in plant-based product formulations to improve creaminess and stability. Beyond texture, cellulose gels serve as carriers for bioactive compounds, aiding in controlled release of flavors and nutrients (Sun et al., 2020).

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Uses

Biomedical research highlights cellulose gel’s promise in wound healing dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds, and drug delivery matrices. Bacterial cellulose gels, in particular, provide superior mechanical properties and high purity (Wu et al., 2020). Moreover, hydrogels derived from cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose have been used in ophthalmic and injectable drug delivery systems (Märtson et al., 1999).

Environmental and Industrial Relevance

Cellulose gels also contribute to sustainability. Their ability to adsorb pollutants makes them effective in water purification (Klemm et al., 2018). In packaging, cellulose-based gels can be combined with biopolymers to create biodegradable films, addressing plastic pollution. Industrial processing benefits from cellulose gels as rheology modifiers in paints, coatings, and adhesives (Eichhorn et al., 2010).

Future Directions

Emerging research is expanding cellulose gel’s potential through functionalization with nanoparticles and active molecules. Smart cellulose gels responsive to stimuli such as pH, temperature, or light are being developed for advanced biomedical applications (Kargarzadeh et al., 2018). With innovation from companies like Ingreland and sustained academic progress, cellulose gels are poised to play a vital role in the transition to bio-based economies.

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