Biological Compatibility of a Polylactic Acid Composite Reinforced with Natural Chitosan Obtained from Shrimp Waste

Abstract

The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of chitosan content (1, 3 and 5 wt %) dispersed in polylactic acid (PLA) on the structure and properties of composites. Also, the hydrolytic degradation, and the cell viability and adhesion of human MG-63 osteoblasts are analyzed to determine the composites’ suitability for use in tissue engineering. For the manufacture of the materials, natural chitosan was extracted chemically from shrimp exoskeleton. The composites were fabricated by extrusion, because it is a low-cost process, it is reproducible, and it does not compromise the biocompatibility of the materials. FT-IR and XRD show that the chitosan does not change the polymer structure, and interactions between the composite components are discarded. In vitro degradation tests show that the composites do not induce significant pH changes in phosphate buffer solution due to their low susceptibility to hydrolytic degradation. The adhesion and morphological characteristics of the osteoblasts are evaluated using confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The cell viability is determined by the MTT assay. Osteoblasts adhesion is observed on the surface of PLA and composites. A higher amount of chitosan, higher number of cells with osteoblastic morphology, and mineralized nodules are observed on the composite surface. The highest metabolic activity is evidenced at 21 days. The results suggest that the Polylactic acid/chitosan composites are potentially suitable for use as a biomaterial.

Plasticizer Enhancement on the Miscibility and Thermomechanical Properties of Polylactic Acid-Chitin-Starch Composites

“…The tensile strength is seen to have the highest value at 6% of chitin and 2% of starch (sample B) blending. This result is in correlation with the tensile properties reported by [25]. In their report, the tensile strength of the PLA composite increase with chitin content from 1% to 5% blending, but a drop is noticed in the composite with 10% reinforcement.…”

“…strength and elastic modulus. The excellent mechanical properties of the composite are probably due to the combined effect of the physical mobility of the constituent, enabled using chloroform and the compatibility interfacial bonding by the chitin [12,25].…”

“…This miscibility of the polymer composite can be attributed to the use of chloroform as the plasticizer and the interfacial bonding of PLA/chitin and chitin /starch. Chitin has been reported to act as a compatibilizer between PLA and starch [12,24,25,29,30]. The images are characterized with network flakes of starch-chitin blends and edges with no voids.…”

Vegetable Additives in Food Packaging Polymeric Materials

“…Polymer composites (polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane) with antibacterial properties [59,60]. Reinforcement in polymer composites [54]. Table 1.…”

Antibacterial and thermomechanical properties of composites of polylactic acid modified with capsicum oleoresin‐impregnated nanoporous silica

“…These bacteria may have their presence in plastic wrapped chicken, meat, or any other ready to eat food; thus, the need of high‐quality polymer films with antimicrobial properties for food packaging applications is highly recommended. Therefore, in recent years, there is an upsurge in academic and industrial research in the area of bio‐based antimicrobial food packaging, resulting in an increase in the number of papers, patents, and books …”