Food dyes, particularly azo dyes, have been researched for their potential negative effects on humans, such as hyperactivity, restlessness, and altered vital organ functions. A potential strategy for preventing negative effects from these dyes is to remove them from the body. Hydrogels are crosslinked polymer chains that absorb and retain large amounts of water. Hydrogels can serve as enterosorbents, materials that travel through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract unabsorbed while binding harmful substances. The purpose of this project was to prepare agarose hydrogels and add hydrophobic or cationic functionalities to remove azo dyes. Three types of hydrogels were prepared: pure agarose gels, agarose-powdered activated carbon hydrogels, and chitosan-agarose hydrogels. Swelling and sorption studies were performed. For the sorption studies, Allura Red AC and tartrazine were utilized. The pure agarose hydrogels exhibited the highest swelling ratios at 21.16 swelling ratio. Meanwhile, the 2% agarose-40% chitosan composites showed the highest dye removal efficiency with 95% removal of Allura Red AC and 85% removal of Tartrazine in 5 mg/ml dye solutions.
