Controlling rheological properties offers the opportunity to gain insight into the
physical characteristics, structure, stability and drug release rate of formulations.
To better understand the physical properties of hydrogels, not only rotational but
also oscillatory experiments should be performed. Viscoelastic properties, including
elastic and viscous properties, are measured using oscillatory rheology. The gel strength
and elasticity of hydrogels are of great importance for pharmaceutical development
as the application of viscoelastic preparations has considerably expanded in recent
decades. Viscosupplementation, ophthalmic surgery and tissue engineering are just
a few examples from the wide range of possible applications of viscoelastic hydrogels.
Hyaluronic acid, alginate, gellan gum, pectin and chitosan are remarkable representatives
of gelling agents that attract great attention applied in biomedical fields. This
review provides a brief summary of rheological properties, highlighting the viscoelasticity
of hydrogels with great potential in biomedicine.
