Study On Properties Of Chitosan/ Gelatin/Pectin Composite Biomaterials

Tissue engineering utilizes the theories and methods of life sciences and engineering sciences, researching and developing new clinic substitute for human tissue and apparatus. Its typical method is seeding cells in the artificial extracellar matrices (ECMs) to form cells/artificial ECMs constructs. Here the manual ECMs are three-dimensional biomaterial scaffolds with excellent biocompatibility. The functions of biomaterial scaffolds act as analogues to the natural ECMs found in tissues, which provide information for cells expressing their functions, e.g. adhesion, proliferation, differention etc. Therefore, the aim for biomaterial scaffolds design is to mimic the natural ECMs, from the compositions to the microstructure.In this paper, the chitosan/gelatin/pectin hydrogel was fabricated and the physicochemical properties of hydrogel was studied. The compressive strength of the hydrogel was between 0.05 and 0.4 MPa, and the influences of molecular weight (M.W.) of chitosan and the content of pectin and gelatin on the degradation and water content of the hydrogel were investigated.Based on the fabrication of the hydrogel, the chitosan/ gelatin/ pectin membrane was prepared by solution casting method. Incorporating pectin could improve the hydrophility of the membrane, and enhance the carboxyl group content on the surface. Its maximum value of tensile strength was about 80 MPa in dry-state, while dropped down in wet state, and the flexibility of the membrane increased in wet state. The adhesion and proliferation of L929 cells cultured on chitosan/ gelatin/ pectin membranes were higher than that of the tissue culture plate. Meanwhile, the properties of chitosan/ gelatin/ pectin scaffold prepared by freeze-drying method were investigated. The water uptake and retention abilities, the rate of degradation and the break ratio of the chitosan/ gelatin/ pectin scaffold were increased compared with chitosan/ gelatin scaffold, and the tensile strength was decreased. L929 cells could adhere on chitosan/ gelatin/ pectin scaffolds and proliferate to form cell/scaffold construction.The results showed that chitosan/ gelatin/ pectin composite biomaterials providing a microenvironment appropriate for cells, which can be a potential choice for tissue engineering in the future. Although this is a preliminary study for chitosan/ gelatin/ pectin biomaterials in tissue engineering, data will be helpful for future work in tissue...