RESUMO
The simplest approach to enhance alginate hydrogel characteristics and functional properties is to replace the calcium in the process of alginate gelation with other metallic ions which are essential for living systems. Gelling of alginate with other ions and using modern encapsulation techniques can provide new delivery systems with required properties. Hence, in this study Cu-alginate hydrogels in the form of microbeads were produced by electrostatic extrusion using gelling solutions with Cu(II) concentrations in the range 13.5-270 mM and comprehensively characterized in vitro. The variation of gelling solution concentration influenced the microbead Cu(II) content, size, biomechanical properties, Cu(II) release and subsequently potential biomedical application. The formulations chosen for biomedical evaluation showed potential for antimicrobial and tissue engineering applications. Microbeads with higher Cu(II) loading (~100 µmol g(-1)) induced immediate bactericidal effects against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Conversely, Cu(II) release from microbeads with the Cu(II) content of ~60 µmol g(-1) was slower and they were suitable for promoting and maintaining chondrogenic phenotype of bovine calf chondrocytes in 3D culture. Results of this study have shown possibilities for tuning Cu-alginate properties for potential biomedical applications such as antimicrobial wound dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds or articular cartilage implants.
Assuntos
Alginatos/química , Antibacterianos/química , Cobre/química , Hidrogéis/química , Animais , Materiais Biocompatíveis/farmacologia , Fenômenos Biomecânicos , Bovinos , Condrócitos/citologia , Escherichia coli/efeitos dos fármacos , Ácido Glucurônico/química , Ácidos Hexurônicos/química , Íons , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana , Microesferas , Fenótipo , Staphylococcus aureus/efeitos dos fármacos , Eletricidade Estática , Engenharia Tecidual/métodos , CicatrizaçãoRESUMO
The aim of the study was to evaluate real-time PCR coupled with propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment for enumeration of microencapsulated probiotic lactobacilli microencapsulated in calcium alginate beads. Lactobacillus gasseri K7 (CCM 7710) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (CCM 7712) were analysed by plate counting and PMA real-time PCR during storage at 4 °C for 90 days. PMA was effective in preventing PCR amplification of the target sequences of DNA released from heat-compromised bacteria. The values obtained by real-time PCR of non-treated samples were in general higher than those obtained by real-time PCR of PMA-treated samples or by plate counting, indicating the presence of sub-lethally injured cells. This study shows that plate count could not be completely replaced by culture independent method PMA real-time PCR for enumeration of probiotics, but may rather complement the well-established plate counting, providing useful information about the ratio of compromised bacteria in the samples.
