Silver nanoparticle reinforced polylactic acid and gelatin composite films for advanced wound dressing.

Multifunctional and biodegradable dressings with high mechanical strength and good antibacterial activity are crucial in fundamental health services. This study was initiated to prepare a novel curative wound dressing film consisting of natural biodegradable gelatin (G) and polylactic acid (PLA) with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) where glutaraldehyde (GA) was used as compatibilizer. The prepared composite films addressed the poor thermal and biological stability of G and the limited fluid retention capacity of PLA. Silver nanoparticles were prepared by basic chemical reduction and reinforced on polymer films using simple solvent casting, which obviated common clinical infections and accelerated wound closure rate (p < .05). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies confirmed composite formation through H-bonding and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed increased crystallinity due to incorporating AgNPs. Films with G, PLA & GA (50:50:5 by volume) introduced the best elasticity & strength with excellent fluid retention properties (p < .05). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images unfolded surface morphology and presence of agglomerated AgNPs on film surfaces. Prepared films exhibited significant antimicrobial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas sp. and showed excellent cell viability (>97 %) in Vero cell line. Finally, an in vivo mouse model study showed 99.7 % contraction (p < .05) within 12 days, which was most effectual and 12 % faster than conventional gauge bandages. These results demonstrated the promising and cost-effective potential of the prepared film for wound healing.

Chitosan based bioactive materials in tissue engineering applications-A review.

In recent years, there have been increasingly rapid advances of using bioactive materials in tissue engineering applications. Bioactive materials constitute many different structures based upon ceramic, metallic or polymeric materials, and can elicit specific tissue responses. However, most of them are relatively brittle, stiff, and difficult to form into complex shapes. Hence, there has been a growing demand for preparing materials with tailored physical, biological, and mechanical properties, as well as predictable degradation behavior. Chitosan-based materials have been shown to be ideal bioactive materials due to their outstanding properties such as formability into different structures, and fabricability with a wide range of bioactive materials, in addition to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. This review highlights scientific findings concerning the use of innovative chitosan-based bioactive materials in the fields of tissue engineering, with an outlook into their future applications. It also covers latest developments in terms of constituents, fabrication technologies, structural, and bioactive properties of these materials that may represent an effective solution for tissue engineering materials, making them a realistic clinical alternative in the near future.

Preparation of gelatin based porous biocomposite for bone tissue engineering and evaluation of gamma irradiation effect on its properties.

Biodegradable porous hybrid polymer composites were prepared by using gelatin as base polymer matrix, ß-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and calcium sulfate (CS) as cementing materials, chitosan as an antimicrobial agent, and glutaraldehyde and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as crosslinkers at different mass ratios. Thereafter, the composites were subjected to γ-radiation sterilization. The structure and properties of these composite scaffolds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mechanical properties testing (compressive, bending, tensile and impact), thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), and physical stability test in simulated body fluid (SBF). We found that TCP rich composites showed enhanced mechanical properties among all the crosslinked composites. γ-Radiation sterilization triggered further cross linking in polymer matrix resulting a decrease in pore size of the composites and an increase in pore wall thickness with improved mechanical and thermal properties. The chemically crosslinked composite with 40% TCP followed by γ-radiation sterilization showed the smallest pore size distribution with a mean pore diameter of 159.22µm, which falls in the range of 100-350µm - known to be suitable for osteoconduction. Considering its improved mechanical and thermal properties along with osteoconduction ability without cytotoxicity, we propose this biocomposite as a viable candidate for bone tissue engineering.

Physico-chemical characteristics of gamma-irradiated gelatin.

This article reports the effects of gamma irradiation (dose ranges 0.1-10 kGy from 60Co source) on the characteristics of solid gelatin and the physico-mechanical, microstructural and bioactive properties of the scaffold prepared from irradiated gelatin solution. FTIR, intrinsic viscosity, bloom strength, thermal properties, SEM, tensile properties, water uptake ability and antimicrobial activities of non-irradiated and irradiated solid gelatin and its scaffolds were investigated. The detailed experimental results for the solid gelatin demonstrated that 1 kGy γ-irradiated samples showed higher intrinsic viscosity, enhanced thermal stability and bloom strength than other irradiated samples. Furthermore, the scaffold thus prepared from irradiated and non-irradiated gelatin also revealed that 1 kGy samples showed the highest tensile strength and modulus with good water resistivity than other irradiated and non-irradiated samples. In addition to the physico-mechanical properties, 1 kGy scaffolds have also exhibited the highest resistivity towards microbial growth that can have potentiality as scaffold in biomedical sector. The enhanced functional and bioactive properties at low irradiation doses (1 kGy) may occurred due to an initial breaking of hydrogen bonds of polypeptide chains in gelatin molecules that indicated by the shift of amide A, I and II peaks to higher wave numbers in FTIR. This enhancement resulted probably due to the domination of crosslinking over degradation at 1 kGy. It was also observed that 1 kGy γ-radiation-induced crosslinking has lowered the hydrophilicity by decreasing water uptake and mean pore diameter of the interconnected porous structures of gelatin.