Physical preparation of alginate/chitosan polyelectrolyte complexes for biomedical applications

Abstract

Polyelectrolyte complexes represent a special class of polymeric compounds consisting of stoichiometric equivalents of oppositely charged polyions interacting together spontaneously to yield a complex in different forms. The present study aimed at preparing coacervates of alginate and chitosan polymers ready for casting as wound dressing films. This was based on controlling the pH of solutions and the reactions speed through controlling the rate of mixing of the polymers solutions together without using any water-miscible solvents. Alginate was modified with radiation and oxidation, and the interactions of the resulting chains and chitosan chains were tested with FTIR spectroscopy and scanning of the resulting films with SEM. This work showed the ability to prepare a complex of highly connected polymeric chains for further biomedical applications. This complex in the form of hydrogel could enhance the proliferation of cells in vitro and the healing efficiency with accelerating the wound closure rate as evidenced through the histological observations.

Complex coacervate‐based materials for biomedicine

“…From a delivery standpoint, bulk and hydrogel‐like coacervate‐based materials are typically the most useful in circumstances that allow for bolus‐style delivery (i.e., direct application or injection of the material to the site of interest). For example, coacervate‐based hydrogels composed of alginate and chitosan were shown to enhance the proliferation of cells in vitro while accelerating healing efficiency and wound closure in a rat model . In another series of reports, the cationic polymer poly(ethylene argininylaspartate diglyceride) (PEAD) was used in concert with the glycosaminoglycan heparin to form coacervate‐based delivery vehicles that take advantage of the strong binding affinity between heparin and various growth factors to enable cargo encapsulation and protection.…”

“…For example, coacervate-based hydrogels composed of alginate and chitosan were shown to enhance the proliferation of cells in vitro while accelerating healing efficiency and wound closure in a rat model. 213 In another series of reports, the cationic polymer poly(ethylene argininylaspartate diglyceride) (PEAD) was used in concert with the glycosaminoglycan heparin to form coacervate-based delivery vehicles that take advantage of the strong binding affinity between heparin and various growth factors to enable cargo encapsulation and protection. Applications included the use of heparin-binding epidermal growth factorlike growth factor (HB-EGF) to accelerate wound healing, 197 fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) to enhance angiogenesis in both surface wounds and after myocardial infarction 76,78 (Figure 8(a)), stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1a for vascular regeneration, 108 bone morphogenetic protein-2 for stem cell differentiation and bone formation, 214 nerve growth factor (NGF) for nerve regeneration, 110 and the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10).…”

Novel alginate-chitosan aerogel fibres for potential wound healing applications

“…It is the example of the work of Liao et al [32] that has demonstrated that the production of a PEC fibre of alginatechitosan can be an effective drug carrier with potential advantages of high loading level and high encapsulation efficiency. Another study that demonstrated the biomedical potential of these materials was the one from Alsharabasy et al [30], which demonstrated the preparation of a high quality alginate chitosan complex in the form of a hydrogel film that stimulates cell proliferation and wound closure, demonstrating the potentiality of these materials for wound healing applications.…”

Chitosan‐calcium alginate dressing promotes wound healing: A preliminary study

“…Moreover, the capability to absorb water is excellent. It can absorb 20 times the volume of water compared to its volume and 5 to 7 times more than the traditional gauze . Besides, calcium alginate dressing can exchange calcium ions when applied to the wounds, which contributes to hemostasis .…”