Antibacterial activity and biocompatibility of a chitosan-gamma-poly(glutamic acid) polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel

作者：Tsao Ching Ting; Chang Chih Hao; Lin Yu Yung; Wu Ming Fung; Wang Jaw Lin; Han Jin Lin; Hsieh Kuo Huang^*

来源：Carbohydrate Research, 2010, 345(12): 1774-1780.

DOI：10.1016/j.carres.2010.06.002

• Chitosan
• gamma-PGA
• Polyelectrolyte complex (PEC)
• Antibacterial ability
• Biocompatibility

In this study, we prepared a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) hydrogel comprising chitosan as the cationic polyelectrolyte and gamma-poly(glutamic acid) (gamma-PGA) as the anionic polyelectrolyte. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that ionic complex interactions existed in the chitosan-gamma-PGA PEC hydrogels. The compressive modulus increased upon increasing the degree of complex formation in the chitosan-gamma-PGA PEC hydrogel; the water uptake decreased upon increasing the degree of complex formation. At the same degree of complex formation, the compressive modulus was larger for the chitosan-dominated PEC hydrogels; the water uptake was larger for the gamma-PGA-dominated ones. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed the existence of interconnected porous structures (pore size: 30-100 mu m) in all of the chitosan-gamma-PGA PEC hydrogels. The chitosan-gamma-PGA PEC hydrogels also exhibited antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, in vitro cell culturing of 3T3 fibroblasts revealed that all the chitosan-gamma-PGA PEC hydrogels were effective in promoting cell proliferation, especially the positively charged ones (chitosan-dominated). Therefore, the chitosan-gamma-PGA polyelectrolyte hydrogel appears to have potential as a new material for biomedical applications.

• 出版日期2010-8-16