Search

The aim of this work was to obtain and characterize polylactide films (PLA) with the addition of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a plasticizer and chloroformic olive leaf extract (OLE). The composition of OLE was characterized by LC-MS/MS techniques. The films with the potential for using in the food packaging industry were prepared using a solvent evaporation method. The total content of the phenolic compounds and DPPH radical scavenging assay of all the obtained materials have been tested. Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) allows for determining the molecular structure, while Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) indicated differences in the films' surface morphology. Among other crucial properties, mechanical properties, thickness, degree of crystallinity, water vapor permeation rate (WVPR), and color change have also been evaluated. The results showed that OLE contains numerous active substances, including phenolic compounds, and PLA/PEG/OLE films are characterized by improved antioxidant properties. The OLE addition into PLA/PEG increases the material crystallinity, while the WVPR values remain almost unaffected. From these studies, significant insight was gained into the possibility of the application of chloroform as a solvent for both olive leaf extraction and for the preparation of OLE, PLA, and PEG-containing film-forming solutions. Finally, evaporation of the solvent from OLE can be omitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, two-component dialdehyde chitosan/hyaluronic acid scaffolds were developed and characterized. Dialdehyde chitosan was obtained by one-step synthesis with chitosan and sodium periodate. Three-dimensional scaffolds were prepared by the lyophilization method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to observe the chemical structure of scaffolds and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging was done to assess the microstructure of resultant materials. Thermal analysis, mechanical properties measurements, density, porosity and water content measurements were used to characterize physicochemical properties of dialdehyde chitosan/hyaluronic acid 3D materials. Additionally, human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK), dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and human melanoma cells (A375 and G-361) were used to evaluate cell viability in the presence of subjected scaffolds. It was found that scaffolds were characterized by a porous structure with interconnected pores. The scaffold composition has an influence on physicochemical properties, such as mechanical strength, thermal resistance, porosity and water content. There were no significant differences between cell viability proliferation of all scaffolds, and this observation was visible for all subjected cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new films with antibacterial properties has been obtained by means of solvent casting method. Biodegradable materials including polylactide (PLA), quercetin (Q) acting as an antibacterial compound and polyethylene glycol (PEG) acting as a plasticizer have been used in the process. The effect of quercetin as well as the amount of PEG on the structural, thermal, mechanical and antibacterial properties of the obtained materials has been determined. It was found that an addition of quercetin significantly influences thermal stability. It should be stressed that samples containing the studied flavonoid are characterized by a higher Young modulus and elongation at break than materials consisting only of PLA and PEG. Moreover, the introduction of 1% of quercetin grants antibacterial properties to the new materials. Recorded results showed that the amount of plasticizer did not influence the antibacterial properties; it does, however, cause changes in physicochemical properties of the obtained materials. These results prove that quercetin could be used as an antibacterial compound and simultaneously improve mechanical and thermal properties of polylactide-based films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review supplies a report on fresh advances in the field of silk fibroin (SF) biopolymer and its blends with biopolymers as new biomaterials. The review also includes a subsection about silk fibroin mixtures with synthetic polymers. Silk fibroin is commonly used to receive biomaterials. However, the materials based on pure polymer present low mechanical parameters, and high enzymatic degradation rate. These properties can be problematic for tissue engineering applications. An increased interest in two- and three-component mixtures and chemically cross-linked materials has been observed due to their improved physico-chemical properties. These materials can be attractive and desirable for both academic, and, industrial attention because they expose improvements in properties required in the biomedical field. The structure, forms, methods of preparation, and some physico-chemical properties of silk fibroin are discussed in this review. Detailed examples are also given from scientific reports and practical experiments. The most common biopolymers: collagen (Coll), chitosan (CTS), alginate (AL), and hyaluronic acid (HA) are discussed as components of silk fibroin-based mixtures. Examples of binary and ternary mixtures, composites with the addition of magnetic particles, hydroxyapatite or titanium dioxide are also included and given. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of chemical, physical, and enzymatic cross-linking were demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blending of different biopolymers, e.g., collagen, chitosan, silk fibroin and cross-linking modifications of these mixtures can lead to new materials with improved physico-chemical properties, compared to single-component scaffolds. Three-dimensional scaffolds based on three-component mixtures of silk fibroin, collagen and chitosan, chemically cross-linked, were prepared and their physico-chemical and biological properties were evaluated. A mixture of EDC (N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride) and NHS (N-hydroxysuccinimide) was used as a cross-linking agent. FTIR was used to observe the position of the peaks characteristic for collagen, chitosan and silk fibroin. The following properties depending on the scaffold structure were studied: swelling behavior, liquid uptake, moisture content, porosity, density, and mechanical parameters. Scanning Electron Microscopy imaging was performed. Additionally, the biological properties of these materials were assessed, by metabolic activity assay. The results showed that the three-component mixtures, cross-linked by EDC/NHS and prepared by lyophilization method, presented porous structures. They were characterized by a high swelling degree. The composition of scaffolds has an influence on mechanical properties. All of the studied materials were cytocompatible with MG-63 osteoblast-like cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, three-dimensional materials based on blends of silk fibroin (SF), collagen (Coll), and chitosan (CTS) cross-linked by glyoxal solution were prepared and the properties of the new materials were studied. The structure of the composites and the interactions between scaffold components were studied using FTIR spectroscopy. The microstructure was observed using a scanning electron microscope. The following properties of the materials were measured: density and porosity, moisture content, and swelling degree. Mechanical properties of the 3D materials under compression were studied. Additionally, the metabolic activity of MG-63 osteoblast-like cells on materials was examined. It was found that the materials were characterized by a high swelling degree (up to 3000% after 1 h of immersion) and good porosity (in the range of 80–90%), which can be suitable for tissue engineering applications. None of the materials showed cytotoxicity toward MG-63 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]