Formation of Antiviral Calcium Alginate Layers Analyzed by Combining Theory, Computational Chemistry and Experiments

Alginate, a sugar polymer derived from algae, crosslinks with calcium ions to form a stable gel or film. Several studies already analyzed the antiviral properties of calcium alginate, whereby only some studies showed viral inhibition. This research investigates the biochemistry and conditions of calcium alginate networks to form gels and membranes by a combination of literature analysis, computational simulations, and spraying experiments. Cell culture assays were applied to test the potential of calcium alginate to inhibit viral entry into cells. These investigations demonstrate that protective effects on cultured cells depend on the specific alginate substance, the concentrations and the manner of deposition. The results confirmed conditions so that the calcium alginate forms effectively gel-like networks and thin membranes. Additionally, the experiments proved that over 50% of the infections of cells with viral particles can be inhibited easily by calcium alginate overlaying cells.