In this paper, covalently cross-linked hydrogel composed of N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan and oxidized
alginate was developed intending for drug delivery application. In vitro/vivo cytocompatibility and biocompatibility
of the developed hydrogel were preliminary evaluated. In vitro cytocompatibility test
showed that the developed hydrogel exhibited good cytocompatibility against NH3T3 cells after 3-day
incubation. According to the results of acute toxicity test, there was no obvious cytotoxicity for major
organs during the period of 21-day intraperitoneal administration. Meanwhile, the developed hydrogel
did not induce any cutaneous reaction within 72 h of subcutaneous injection followed by slow degradation
and adsorption with the time evolution. Moreover, the extraction of developed hydrogel had
nearly 0% of hemolysis ratio, which indicated the good hemocompatibility of hydrogel. Based on the
above results, it may be concluded that the developed N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan/oxidized alginate
hydrogel with non-cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility might suitable for the various drug delivery
applications.