Cytotoxic and antibacterial activity of chichá gum hydrogel associated with nerolidol

Chichá gum is a polysaccharide from the Sterculia striata plant, with a chemical structure composed of hydroxyl groups, which favor the formation of hydrogels, enabling the association with other materials to improve their biological properties and as drug delivery systems. Hydrogels were produced from chichá gum associated with nerolidol in concentrations of 1 and 2%, cytotoxicity was evaluated against Artemia salina. The hydrogels were tested against the strains Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, by the direct contact test. the material showed no toxic activity and an antibacterial effect was observed with 83.6% growth inhibition with the use of the hydrogel with 2% nerolidol. It concludes that the materials produced have the potential to be used in the future as products with good antibacterial properties.