Macromolecular inks of nanocellulose-alginate for direct-ink-writing: Functional scaffolds enriched with curcumin extracts

We present a scalable platform for the fabrication of multifunctional bioactive materials by integrating, polysaccharide-based matrices, green extraction and additive manufacturing. In this work, bioactive 3D-printed structures were fabricated using inks composed of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), alginate (Alg), and curcumin extracts. Bioactive compounds were efficiently recovered from turmeric via solvent-free supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, yielding up to 6.57 mg/100 g curcuminoids and 232.45 mg/100 g total phenols. The extracts exhibited robust antioxidant activity (DPPH• IC₅₀: 23.24 mg/mL; ABTS+• IC₅₀: 3.59 mg/mL) and broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC: 9.38 mg/mL). Incorporation into NFC-Alg inks exhibited excellent shear-thinning properties suitable for direct-ink-writing 3D printing. Post-printing CaCl₂ crosslinking further reinforced the hydrogel network, enhancing mechanical robustness and shape fidelity. The resulting constructs featured a highly porous, grid-like architecture with intricate surface morphology, highlighting significant potential for biomedical and tissue engineering applications.