Structural, mechanical and swelling characteristics of 3D scaffolds from chitosan-agarose blends

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the correlation between mechanical and structural properties of chitosan-agarose blend (Ch-Agrs) scaffolds. Porosity of Ch-Agrs scaffolds was constant at 93%, whilst pore sizes varied between 150 and 550 μm. Pore sizes of the blend scaffolds (150 -300 μm) were significantly smaller than for either agarose or chitosan scaffolds alone (ca. 500 μm). Ch50-Agrs50 blend scaffold showed the highest compressive modulus and strength values (4.5 ± 0.4 and 0.35 ± 0.03 MPa) due to reduction in the pore size. The presence of agarose improved the stability of the blends in aqueous media. The increase in compressive properties and residual weight after the TGA test, combined with the reduction in the swelling percentage of the blend scaffolds suggested an interaction between chitosan and agarose via hydrogen bonding which was confirmed using FTIR analysis. All wet blend scaffolds exhibited instant recovery after full compression. This study shows the potential of Ch-Agrs scaffolds for repairing soft tissue.

Preparation of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes Embedded Electroconductive Multi-Microchannel Scaffolds for Neuron Growth under Electrical Stimulation

“…We evaluated pore size by pore area instead of pore diameter, which displayed the size of pores better than the previous literatures because the pores were not regular. The pore areas of the hydrated scaffolds were distributed around 10 000 μm 2 , which were consistent with previous reports [22] and beneficial for cell attachment [23,74].…”

“…The use of agarose, with good biocompatibility and biodegradability, is in increasing expansion to satisfy different needs in bioengineering. As a saccharide polymer derived from seaweed, agarose is often used as a substrate for cell growth and bioengineering such as three-dimensional tissue growth, gene therapy, drug delivery and controlled release, and clinical application for its capacity to carry drugs and cells [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. Combined with other materials to form composite materials, agarose is used to promote regeneration of skin, bone, cartilage, and nerve [22,[26][27][28].…”

“…The cytotoxicity of CNTs coated in agarose might be reduced compared to the cytotoxicity of bare CNTs, which may explain why cells proliferation did not decrease obviously in our research. Swelling and deswelling behaviors of scaffolds in aqueous are essential in biomedical applications because they control the diffusion and release of drugs and nutrients in tissue application [23]. The high swelling and deswelling rate of MWCNT-agarose scaffolds might be ascribed to the hydrophilicity nature of both agarose and water dispersed MWCNTs or/and changes of agarose scaffolds in spatial structure caused by MWCNTs [10,22,70].…”

Development and Characterization of a Biocomposite Material from Chitosan and New Zealand-Sourced Bovine-Derived Hydroxyapatite for Bone Regeneration

“…Scaffolds with larger pore morphology were mechanically weaker but had superior biocompatibility because of better cellular integration. 29 , 30 …”

Chitosan and Agaricus brasiliensis Polysaccharides Films: A Preliminary Study

“…On the other hand, it has free amino groups capable of attacking electrophilic centers or interacting electrostatically with negatively charged groups in the acid medium forming crosslinks. [9][10][11][12][13] The isolation and characterization method of polysaccharides isolated from the Agaricus brasiliensis mushroom are composed of glucans bound in configurations β(1→6) and α(1→4), either free or in association with proteins, forming proteoglycans. 14 These macromolecules have presented many therapeutic properties such as analgesic, antitumor, immunomodulatory and antiherpetic activities.…”