Treating catalytically oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel

1. A method for treating a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

providing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel having a dry-matter content of at least 0.6 weight-%, wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose is oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose, wherein the oxidation has been carried out through N-oxyl mediated catalytic oxidation of cellulose-based raw material, and has at most 50 μmol of aldehyde groups per gram of dry nanofibrillar cellulose; and

subjecting the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel to a heat treatment, wherein the heat treatment comprises keeping the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel at a predetermined temperature within the range of 100-150° C., for a period of time in the range of 1 second to 180 minutes, wherein the predetermined temperature and the period of time are chosen such that the number of viable micro-organisms in the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel is reduced,

wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel after the heat treatment has a viscosity of 2000-40000 mPa·s as measured at a 0.8% (w/w) concentration of the nanofibrillar cellulose in water with a Brookfield viscometer at a temperature of 20° C., with a vane spindle and a measuring speed of 10 rpm, the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel after the heat treatment differing at most by 30% from the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel before the heat treatment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel comprises providing oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose, which has at most 40 μmol of aldehyde groups per gram of dry nanofibrillar cellulose.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel comprises providing oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose containing essentially no aldehyde groups.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel comprises fibrillating oxidized cellulose-based raw material to form nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel with a turbidity value of at most 200 NTU as measured at a 0.1% (w/w) concentration of the nanofibrillar cellulose in water.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined temperature and the period of time are chosen such that the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel is kept at a temperature for a period of time that correspond to a steam autoclave treatment carried out at a temperature of 121° C for 20 minutes.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined temperature and the period of time are chosen such that the number of viable micro-organisms in the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel is reduced by a factor of at least 10 3 .

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined temperature and period of time are chosen such that the treated nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel comprises fewer than 10 −3 colony-forming units of a viable microorganism per gram of the treated nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, after the heat treatment, differs at most 50%, or at most 30% from the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel before the heat treatment, when the dry matter content of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel subjected to the heat treatment is at least 0.6 weight-% and when the viscosity after the heat treatment is measured in the same dry matter content of at least 0.6 weight-%.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel and subjecting the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel to a heat treatment are carried out while maintaining aseptic conditions.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel after heat treatment differs at most by 10% from the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel before the heat treatment.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel after heat treatment differs at most by 5% from the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel before the heat treatment.

13. A nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel obtainable by the method of claim 1 .

14. A nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose is oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose, wherein the oxidation has been carried out through N-oxyl mediated catalytic oxidation of cellulose-based raw material, wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel has been subjected to a heat treatment comprising keeping the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel at a predetermined temperature within the range of 100-150° C., for a period of time in the range of 1 second to 180 minutes, the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel having at most 50 μmol of aldehyde groups per gram of dry nanofibrillar cellulose, and wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel contains no colony-forming units of a viable micro-organism per gram of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, as measured by culturing on a growth medium, and has a viscosity of 2000-40000 mPa·s as measured at a 0.8% (w/w) concentration of the nanofibrillar cellulose in water with a Brookfield viscometer at a temperature of 20° C., with a vane spindle and a measuring speed of 10 rpm, the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel after the heat treatment differing at most by 30% from the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel before the heat treatment.

15. The nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel of claim 14 , wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel contains at most 10 −3 colony-forming units of a viable micro-organism per gram of nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel.

16. A nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel obtainable by the method of claim 1 for use in therapy.

17. A nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel for use in therapy, wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose is oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose, wherein the oxidation has been carried out through N-oxyl mediated catalytic oxidation of cellulose-based raw material, and wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel has been subjected to a heat treatment comprising keeping the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel at a predetermined temperature within the range of 100-150° C., for a period of time in the range of 1 second to 180 minutes, the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel having at most 50 μmol of aldehyde groups per gram of dry nanofibrillar cellulose, and wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel contains at most 10 −2 colony-forming units of a viable micro-organism per gram of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, and has a viscosity of 2000-40000 mPa·s as measured at a 0.8% (w/w) concentration of the nanofibrillar cellulose in water with a Brookfield viscometer at a temperature of 20° C., with a vane spindle and a measuring speed of 10 rpm, the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel after the heat treatment differing at most by 30% from the viscosity of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel before the heat treatment.

18. The nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel for use as defined in claim 17 , wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel contains at most 10 −3 colony-forming units of a viable micro-organism per gram of the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel.