ABSTRACT
Due to the large specific surface area and rich pore structure, chitosan nanofiber membrane has many advantages over conventional gel-like or film-like products. However, the poor stability in acidic solutions and relatively weak antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria severely restrict its use in many industries. Here, we present a chitosan-urushiol composite nanofiber membrane prepared by electrospinning. Chemical and morphology characterization revealed that the formation of chitosan-urushiol composite involved the Schiff base reaction between catechol and amine groups and the self-polymerization of urushiol. The unique crosslinked structure and multiple antibacterial mechanisms endowed the chitosan-urushiol membrane with outstanding acid resistance and antibacterial performance. After immersion in HCl solution at pH 1, the membrane maintained its intact appearance and satisfactory mechanical strength. In addition to its good antibacterial performance against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), the chitosan-urushiol membrane exhibited synergistic antibacterial activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) that far exceeded that of neat chitosan membrane and urushiol. Moreover, cytotoxicity and hemolysis assays revealed that the composite membrane had good biocompatibility similar to that of neat chitosan. In short, this work provides a convenient, safe, and environmentally friendly method to simultaneously enhance the acid resistance and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity of chitosan nanofiber membranes.
Subject(s)
Chitosan , Nanofibers , Chitosan/pharmacology , Chitosan/chemistry , Nanofibers/chemistry , Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , CatecholsABSTRACT
The development of scaffolds featuring spatiotemporal controlled release of drugs is highly desirable. The goal of this study is to construct an inhomogeneous scaffold with gradient pore structure from top layer to bottom layer. The scaffolds were prepared using bioglass (BG), phosphatidylserine (PS) and steroidal saponins (SS) loaded collagen (COL) microparticles as the main components. The resulting scaffold constructs were characterized in terms of their morphology, drug release kinetics and mechanisms, as well as macroscopic form stability and mechanical properties. Pore interconnectivity and graded distribution were demonstrated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Such constructs have been further shown to be advantageous for temporal and spatial control of drug release and deposition in the scaffolds, with a potential to repair bone defect more precisely and effectively. Changes in the BG content resulted in distinct macroscopic form stability and mechanical properties to scaffolds. An increase in the BG content in scaffolds led to less volume swell as well as higher ultimate strength and compressive modulus, which makes the scaffolds mechanically adjustable according to certain structures and properties of different bone defect sites. The developed scaffolds may show promise for promoting bone tissue regeneration.
Subject(s)
Biocompatible Materials/chemistry , Bone and Bones/physiopathology , Ceramics , Collagen/chemistry , Phosphatidylserines/chemistry , Tissue Engineering/methods , Bone and Bones/chemistry , Bone and Bones/physiology , Chitosan/chemistryABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of nano-bioglass/phosphatidylserine/collagen (nBG/PS/COL) scaffolds loaded with steroidal saponins as an inducer factor for skeletal defects. The drugs-encapsulated bone substitute was prepared by loading steroidal saponins-collagen microsphere suspension in nano-bioglass and phosphatidylserine (PS) composite. The scaffolds possess an interconnected porous structure with a porosity of about 82.3%. The pore size ranges from several micrometers up to about 400 µm. The drug release assays showed the long-term sustained release of steroidal saponins from the scaffolds with effective and safe bioactivity. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo studies showed that the involvement of steroidal saponins contributed to the secretion of nerve growth factor (NGF) in MC3T3-E1 cells, which may be the possible factor that greatly enhanced bone healing. The results suggest that the bone substitute is an effective implantable drug-delivery system for use in bone repair.
Subject(s)
Biocompatible Materials/chemistry , Bone and Bones/metabolism , Collagen/chemistry , Phosphatidylserines/chemistry , Saponins/chemistry , Steroids/chemistry , Tissue Engineering/methods , Ceramics , PorosityABSTRACT
A hierarchically porous anatase TiO2 coated-WO3 2D inverse opal (IO) bilayer film was fabricated on ITO glass using a layer by layer route with a hierarchically porous TiO2 top layer and an ordered super-macroporous WO3 2D IO bottom layer. This novel TiO2 coated-WO3 2D IO bilayer film was evaluated for photochromic applications.
