Calcium sulfate

All chemicals were purchased and used without further purification. Materials for the hydrogel synthesis and the bridging polymer include acrylamide (AAm, Sigma-Aldrich, A9099), N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA; Sigma-Aldrich, M7279), ammonium persulfate (APS, Sigma-Aldrich, A3678), N,N,N’,N’-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED, Sigma-Aldrich, T7024), Alginate (I-1G) was purchased from KIMICA Corporation, chitosan (degree of deacetylation, DDA: 95%, medium- and high-molecular weight, Lyphar Biotech), sodium bicarbonate (Fisher Scientific, S233), sodium phosphate monobasic (NaH2PO4, Sigma, S8282), sodium phosphate dibasic (Na2HPO4, Sigma-Aldrich, S7907), acetic acid (Sigma-Aldrich, A6283), calcium sulfate (Sigma-Aldrich), N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (NHS, Sigma-Aldrich, 130672), and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC, Sigma-Aldrich, 03450), Gelatin (Sigma-Aldrich, G2500). Glass, acrylic sheets (PMMA), PS, silicon, and PTFE were purchased from McMaster-Carr to make mold substrates for polymerization. VHB elastomer was purchased from 3M. Porcine skin was purchased from a local grocery store, then stored in a fridge at $-$ 20 ${}^{°}$ C, and thawed at 4 ${}^{°}$ C before use. Nylon mesh was purchased from McMaster Carr without further modification (9318T25, 9318T23 for thicknesses of 50 $\mathrm{\mu }$ m and 120 $\mathrm{\mu }$ m, respectively.).

S. persica roots were collected from the Sistan and Baluchestan in the South-east of Iran. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC) (substituent degree of 0.7 and the molecular weight of 40,000 kDa) was purchased from Caragum Parsian Co (Tehran, Iran). Calcium sulfate (CaSO4), magnesium nitrate hexahydrate [Mg(NO3)2-6H2O], potassium chloride (KCl), sodium chloride (NaCl), glycerol, ethanol and microbial culture media of Muller Hinton Agar (MHA) and Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) were purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). TiO₂ nanoparticles (TONP) in Rutile phase was provided from US Research Nanomaterials Inc. (Hauston, USA) with the average diameter of ~30 nm and the purity of 99.9% as mentioned in the producer data sheet.

All chemicals and reagents were of analytical grade and used without further purification. Hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (HAuCl₄), silica gel, zinc sulfide, calcium sulfate, APTS, trisodium citrate, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, methanol, ethanol, acetone, and n-hexane were purchased from Merck Company (Darmstadt, Germany). Progesterone and testosterone standards were obtained from the Center of Quality Control of Drug, Tehran, Iran, and deionized water was used throughout the experiments.
Stock solutions of progesterone and testosterone (1000 μg/mL) were prepared by dissolving 100 mg of each analyte in 100 mL methanol. The solutions were stored at 4°C in dark and were stable for at least 2 weeks. The working standard solutions were prepared in the concentration range of 1–200 μg/mL for construction of a calibration curve, and all dilutions were made with methanol.