S. A. Bento, CristianaC. Gaspar, M.Coimbra, Patríciade Sousa, Hermínio C.E. M. Braga, Mara2024-01-082024-01-082023-02-01Cristiana S. A. Bento, Marisa C. Gaspar, Patrícia Coimbra, Hermínio C. de Sousa, Mara E. M. Braga, A review of conventional and emerging technologies for hydrogels sterilization, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, Volume 634, 2023, 122671, ISSN 0378-5173, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.122671.0378-5173http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/9199Funding This work was financially supported by Fundaçao ˜ para a Ciˆencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, through the project STERILAEROGEL – Green method to prepare sterilised biopolymer-based aerogel (POCI01–0145-FEDER-032625) and Strategic Projects FCT-MEC PEst-C/EQB/ UI0102/2019, UIDB/00102/2020 and Programmatic Project UIDP/ 00102/2020 of the CIEPQPF, and UI/05704/2020 of the ciTechCare. C. S. A. Bento acknowledges for PhD grant UI/BD/151008/2021 and M. C. Gaspar acknowledges FCT for the financial support under Scientific Employment Stimulus – Individual and Institutional Calls (CEECIND/ 00527/2017 and CEECINST/00060/2021).Hydrogels are extensively used in the biomedical field, as drug delivery systems, wound dressings, contact lenses or as scaffolds for tissue engineering. Due to their polymeric nature and the presence of high amounts of water in their structure, hydrogels generally present high sensitivity to terminal sterilization. The establishment of an efficient sterilization protocol that does not compromise the functional properties of the hydrogels is one of the challenges faced by researchers when developing a hydrogel for a specific application. Yet, until very recently this aspect was largely ignored in the literature. The present paper reviews the state of literature concerning hydrogels sterilization, compiling the main findings. Conventional terminal sterilization methods (heat sterilization, radiation sterilization, and gas sterilization) as well as emerging sterilization techniques (ozone, supercritical carbon dioxide) are covered. Considerations about aseptic processing are also included. Additionally, and as a framework, hydrogels’ polymeric materials, types of networks, and main biomedical applications are summarily described.engHydrogelPolymersSterilizationAseptic processingBiomedical applicationsjournal articlehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.122671