A validated 1H NMR method for the determination of the degree of deacetylation of chitosan

Polymeric Enhancers of Mucosal Epithelia Permeability: Synthesis, Transepithelial Penetration-Enhancing Properties, Mechanism of Action, Safety Issues

Transmucosal drug administration across nasal, buccal, and ocular mucosae is noninvasive, eliminates hepatic first-pass metabolism and harsh environmental conditions, allows rapid onset, and further, mucosal surfaces are readily accessible. Generally, however, hydrophilic drugs, such as peptides and proteins, are poorly permeable across the epithelium, which results in insufficient bioavailability. Therefore, reversible modifications of epithelial barrier structure by permeation enhancers are required. Low molecular weight enhancers generally have physicochemical characteristics favoring their own absorption, whereas polymeric enhancers are not absorbed, and this minimizes the risk of systemic toxicity. The above considerations have warranted the present survey of the studies on polymeric transmucosal penetration-enhancers that have appeared in the literature during the last decade. Studies on intestinal permeation enhancers are also reviewed as they give information on the mechanism of action and safety of polymers. The synthesis and characterization of polymers, their effectiveness in enhancing the absorption of different drugs across different epithelium types, their mechanism of action and structure-efficacy relationship, and the relevant safety issues are reviewed. The active polymers are classified into: polycations (chitosan and its quaternary ammonium derivatives, poly-L-arginine (poly-L-Arg), aminated gelatin), polyanions (N-carboxymethyl chitosan, poly(acrylic acid)), and thiolated polymers (carboxymethyl cellulose-cysteine, polycarbophil (PCP)-cysteine, chitosan-thiobutylamidine, chitosan-thioglycolic acid, chitosan-glutathione conjugates).

Extraction and characterization of chitin and chitosan from local sources

Chitin has been extracted from six different local sources in Egypt. The obtained chitin was converted into the more useful soluble chitosan by steeping into solutions of NaOH of various concentrations and for extended periods of time, then the alkali chitin was heated in an autoclave which dramatically reduced the time of deacetylation. Chitin from squid pens did not require steeping in sodium hydroxide solution and showed much higher reactivity towards deacetylation in the autoclave that even after 15 min of heating a degree of deacetylation of 90% was achieved. The obtained chitin and chitosan were characterized by spectral analysis, X-ray diffraction and thermo gravimetric analysis.

A novel thermoresponsive hydrogel based on chitosan

Injectable thermosetting chitosan hydrogels are attractive systems for drug delivery and tissue engineering that combine biodegradability, biocompatibility and the ability to form in situ gel-like implants. Thermally-induced gelation relies advantageously on biopolymer secondary interactions, avoiding potentially toxic polymerization reactions that may occur with in situ polymerizing formulations. In view of a biomedical use, such formulations have to be sterilizable and storable on extended periods without losing their thermosetting properties. These two key features have been studied in the present paper. Chitosans from two different sources were added with several phosphate-free polyols or polyoses as gelling agents. Despite a reduction in chitosan molecular weight following autoclaving, the hydrogels prepared with autoclaved chitosan showed the desired thermosetting properties. Hence, chitosan steam sterilization combined with aseptic preparation of the hydrogel allows a sterile formulation to be obtained. Whereas thermosetting hydrogels were shown to be unstable when refrigerated, freezing was shown to be conceivable as a storage method. When trehalose or mannitol was used as stabilizing agent, the formulation reconstituted from a lyophilizate displayed thermosetting properties and was still injectable, paving the way to the development of a clinically utilizable, novel chitosan thermosetting hydrogel.

Structure, depolymerization, and cytocompatibility evaluation of glycol chitosan

Glycol chitosan, a water soluble chitosan derivative being investigated as a new biomaterial, was fractionated via two different methods. Initial characterization of the glycol chitosan with (1)H NMR spectroscopy illustrated the presence of both secondary and tertiary amine groups, contradictory to its widely accepted structure. Fractionation of glycol chitosan with nitrous acid resulted in a significant reduction in the number average molecular weight, specifically, from 170 to approximately 7 kDa for a pH 3 and below. However, the reaction altered its chemical structure, as the secondary amine groups were converted to N-nitrosamines, which are potentially carcinogenic. An increase in the pH of the reaction limited this formation, but not entirely. Free radical degradation initiated with potassium persulfate was not as effective at reducing the molecular weight as the nitrous acid approach, yielding molecular weights around 12 kDa under the same molar ratio of degrading species, but did retain the structural integrity of the glycol chitosan. Additionally, control of the molecular weight appears feasible with potassium persulfate. When assessed in vitro for cytocompatibility, the polymer exhibited no toxicity on monolayer-cultured chondrocytes, and in fact stimulated cell growth at low concentrations.

Effect of manufacturing parameters on the characteristics of vitamin C encapsulated tripolyphosphate-chitosan microspheres prepared by spray-drying

To prepare the sustained release vitamin C carriers, vitamin C was successfully encapsulated in tripolyphosphate (TPP) cross-linked chitosan (TPP-chitosan) microspheres by the spray-drying method at different manufacturing conditions. Manufacturing parameters (inlet temperature, liquid flow rate, chitosan concentration and volume of 1% w/v TPP solution) had a significant influence on the characteristics of thus prepared microspheres. The optimum spray-drying conditions such as inlet temperature, liquid flow rate and compressed air flow rate for the encapsulation of vitamin C in TPP-chitosan microspheres was found to be 170 degrees C, 2 ml min(-1) and 101 min(-1), respectively. The size and yield of the TPP-chitosan microspheres ranged from 3.9-7.3 microm and 54.5-67.5%, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of TPP-chitosan microspheres ranged from 45.72-68.7% and it decreased with the increasing volume of 1% w/v TPP solution. At the same cross-linking extent, the encapsulation efficiency of TPP-chitosan microspheres increased when the concentration of chitosan was increased from 0.5-1% w/v. Effect of volume of 1% w/v TPP solution on the surface morphology of chitosan microspheres was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These studies revealed that chitosan solution (250 ml) cross-linked with 15 ml 1% w/v TPP solution produced more porous microspheres than that cross-linked with 5 and 10 ml TPP solution. The release rate of vitamin C from TPP-chitosan microspheres decreased when the concentration of chitosan was increased from 0.5-1.0% w/v. Vitamin C release rate was also modulated by varying the volume of 1% w/v TPP solution. The release rate of vitamin C from TPP-chitosan microspheres decreased with increasing volume (5-15 ml) of 1% w/v TPP solution.

Characteristics of vitamin C encapsulated tripolyphosphate-chitosan microspheres as affected by chitosan molecular weight

In this paper, the effect of chitosan molecular weight on the characteristics (size, encapsulation efficiency, zeta potential, surface morphology and release rate) of vitamin C encapsulated tripolyphosphate cross-linked chitosan (TPP-chitosan) microspheres. The molecular weight of chitosan had a noticeable influence on the size, encapsulation efficiency, zeta potential, surface morphology and controlled release behaviour of the vitamin C encapsulated TPP-chitosan microspheres. The mean particle size and encapsulation efficiencies of TPP-chitosan microspheres were 3.1, 4.9 and 6.7 microm and 67.25, 60.43 and 52.74% for the microspheres prepared using low, medium and high molecular weight chitosan, respectively. All the TPP-chitosan microspheres (low, medium and high molecular weight) had positive charge on their surface. The zeta potential of the TPP-chitosan microspheres prepared using low, medium and high molecular weight chitosan was 41.25, 40.84 and 39.13 mV, respectively. The particle sizes of TPP-chitosan microspheres increased with increases in chitosan molecular weight. Molecular weight of chitosan did not affect significantly the % yield of TPP-chitosan microspheres prepared by spray-drying. The influence of chitosan molecular weight on the surface morphology of vitamin C encapsulated TPP-chitosan microspheres was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was observed that, as the molecular weight of chitosan increases, TPP-chitosan microspheres with uniform spherical shape could be obtained. The physical state of vitamin C (amorphous or crystalline) in TPP-chitosan matrix was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and it was found that vitamin C is dispersed at the molecular level (amorphous) in the TPP-chitosan matrix. Release rate of the vitamin C from TPP-chitosan microspheres was significantly affected by the chitosan molecular weight. The release rate decreased with increase in the chitosan molecular weight. The release of vitamin C from TPP-chitosan microspheres followed Fick's law of diffusion.

Construction of Viscoelastic Biocompatible Films via the Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Hyaluronan and Phosphorylcholine-Modified Chitosan

Films of hyaluronan (HA) and a phosphorylcholine-modified chitosan (PC-CH) were constructed by the polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) deposition technique and their buildup in 0.15 M NaCl was followed by atomic force microscopy, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR), and dissipative quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The HA/PC-CH films were stable over a wide pH range (3.0-12.0), exhibiting a stronger resistance against alkaline conditions as compared to HA/CH films. The loss and storage moduli, G' and G", of the films throughout the growth of eight bilayer assemblies were derived from an impedance analysis of the QCM data recorded in situ. Both G' and G" values were one order of magnitude lower than the moduli of HA/CH films. The fluid gel-like characteristics of HA/PC-CH multilayers were attributed to their high water content (50 wt %), which was estimated by comparing the surface coverage values derived from SPR and QCM measurements. Given the versatility of the PEM methodology, HA/PC-CH films are attractive tools for developing biocompatible surface coatings of controlled mechanical properties.

Ionization and solubility of chitosan solutions related to thermosensitive chitosan/glycerol-phosphate systems

Chitosan is a linear cationic biopolymer composed of glucosamine and N-acetyl-glucosamine that is only soluble in acidic aqueous solutions and precipitates when neutralized. However, it was recently discovered that chitosan dissolved in solutions containing glycerol phosphate was soluble at near neutral pH and produced a sol-gel transition when heated. Understanding this unique thermogelling system requires improved characterization of the ionization and solubility behaviors of chitosan, in particular dependencies on temperature, salt, chitosan concentration, and fD, where fD is the fraction of glucosamine monomers (deacetylated monomers) in chitosan. In the current study we performed temperature-controlled titration and dilution experiments on chitosan solutions with fD of 0.72, 0.85, and 0.98 at concentrations ranging from 1.875 to 30 mM of its glucosamine monomer and with 0 to 150 mM added salt. Light transmittance measurements were performed during titration to indicate precipitation. We found the apparent proton dissociation constant of chitosan, pKap, to (1) decrease strongly with increased temperature, (2) increase strongly with increased salt, (3) increase strongly with increased chitosan concentration in low-salt conditions, and (4) decrease weakly with increasing fD. All of the above influences on chitosan pKap were accurately predicted using a mean-field Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) cylindrical cell model where the only adjustable parameter was the temperature-dependent chitosan intrinsic monomeric dissociation constant pK0(T). The resulting chitosan pK0 values at 25 degrees C were in the range from 6.63 to 6.78 for all chitosans and salt contents tested. The temperature dependence of chitosan ionization was found to strongly reduce pK0(T) by 0.023 units per degrees C, for example, resulting in a reduction of chitosan pK0(T) from 7.1 at 5 degrees C to 6.35 at 37 degrees C for fD of 0.72 in 150 mM salt. A similar temperature-dependent reduction of the pKa of the glucosamine monomer was found (-0.027 units per degrees C) while the pKa of glycerol phosphate did not change significantly with temperature. The latter result suggested that chitosan solutions heated in the presence of glycerol phosphate will become partly neutralized by transferring protons to glycerol phosphate and thereby allow attractive interchain forces to form a physically cross-linked gel under the appropriate conditions. Additionally, the degree of ionization of chitosan when it precipitates upon addition of a strong base was measured to be in the range from 0.25 to 0.55 and was found to (1) be insensitive to temperature, (2) increase strongly with increased salt, and (3) increase strongly with fD. The salt effect was accounted for by the PB model, while the influence of fD appeared to be due to acetyl groups impeding attractive chain-to-chain association to increase solubility and require reduced ionization levels to precipitate.

Peptide surface modification of methacrylamide chitosan for neural tissue engineering applications

Nerve fibres are guided to their targets by the combined actions of chemotactic and haptotactic stimuli; however, translating these stimuli to a scaffold that will promote nerve regeneration is nontrivial. In pursuit of this goal, we synthesized and characterized cell-adhesive, biodegradable chitosan scaffolds. Chitosan amine groups were reacted with methacrylic anhydride resulting in a water soluble methacrylamide chitosan (MC) that was then crosslinked by radical polymerization resulting in a scaffold. Biodegradability by lysozyme and penetrability of the scaffold by rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons were studied. Maleimide-terminated cell adhesive peptides, mi-GDPGYIGSR and mi-GQASSIKVAV, were coupled to a thiolated form of MC to promote cell adhesion. The MC scaffold was found to be porous, biodegradable, and to allow neurite penetration. Interestingly, all of these properties were found to depend upon the amount of initiator used in crosslinking. Covalent modification of the MC scaffold with cell adhesive peptides significantly improved neuronal adhesion and neurite outgrowth. The MC can be crosslinked to form a novel scaffold, where our results demonstrate its suitability in neural tissue engineering and its potential for other engineered tissues, such as cartilage repair, where chitosan has already demonstrated some utility.

Laminin-incorporated nerve conduits made by plasma treatment for repairing spinal cord injury

To better direct the repair of damaged axons following spinal cord injury (SCI), we designed a nerve conduit (NC) modeled after the intact spinal cord, which would enable the axons to cross the lesioned area to rejoin on the other side. The NC consisted of a porous chitosan scaffold and was incorporated with laminin (LN) on the inner surface through oxygen plasma treatment. According to the BBB, CBS, and treadmill analyses, we found that following the implantation of the laminin-coated NC (LN-NC) the rats showed a tendency towards behavior improvement and functional recovery. Histology and immunocytochemical analyses indicated that the NC groups were capable of leading the damaged axons through the lesioned area without triggering inflammation or apoptosis. Together with the significantly enhanced expression of local GAP-43 in the LN-NC groups, as evidenced by western blot analysis, axon re-growth mediated by LN-NC was found to compare better than that by NC group. These results suggest a new possible approach to repairing SCI and, in general, a model which will be useful for other multidisciplinary procedures for complex neurological situations.

Low molecular weight chitosans—Preparation with the aid of pronase, characterization and their bactericidal activity towards Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli

The homogeneous low molecular weight chitosans (LMWC) of molecular weight 9.5-8.5 kDa, obtained by pronase catalyzed non-specific depolymerization (at pH 3.5, 37 degrees C) of chitosan showed lyses of Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli more efficiently (100%) than native chitosan (<50%). IR and (1)H-NMR data showed decrease in the degree of acetylation (14-19%) in LMWC compared to native chitosan ( approximately 26%). Minimum inhibitory concentration of LMWC towards 10(6) CFU ml(-1) of B. cereus was 0.01% (w/v) compared to 0.03% for 10(4) CFU ml(-1) of E. coli. SEM revealed pore formation as well as permeabilization of the bacterial cells, as also evidenced by increased carbohydrate and protein contents as well as the cytoplasmic enzymes in the cell-free supernatants. N-terminal sequence analyses of the released proteins revealed them to be cytoplasmic/membrane proteins. Upon GLC, the supernatant showed characteristic fatty acid profiles in E. coli, thus subscribing to detachment of lipopolysaccharides into the medium, whereas that of B. cereus indicated release of surface lipids. The mechanism for the observed bactericidal activity of LMWC towards both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria has been discussed.

Synthesis and characterization of phosphorylcholine-substituted chitosans soluble in physiological pH conditions

A polymer analogous synthesis involving the reductive amination of phosphorylcholine (PC)-glyceraldehyde with primary amines of deacetylated chitosan (M(w) approximately 57000 g mol(-1)) was used to prepare phosphorylcholine-substituted chitosans (PC-CH) with a degree of substitution (DS) ranging from approximately 11 to approximately 53 mol % PC-substituted glucosamine residues. The PC-CH derivatives were characterized by (1)H NMR spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and multiangle laser light scattering gel permeation chromatography (MALLS-GPC). The pK(a) of the PC-substituted amine groups (pK(a) approximately 7.20) was determined by (1)H NMR titration. The PC-CH samples (1.0 g L(-1)) were shown to be nontoxic using an MTT assay performed with human KB cells. Aqueous solutions of PC-CH samples (4.0 g L(-1)) of DS >or= 22 mol % PC-substituted glucosamine residues remained clear, independently of pH (4.0 < pH < 11.0). The remarkable water solubility and nontoxicity displayed by the new PC-CH samples open up new opportunities in the design of chitosan-based biomaterials and nanoparticles.

Limitations of pH-potentiometric titration for the determination of the degree of deacetylation of chitosan

The degree of deacetylation (DDA) of chitosan determines the biopolymer's physico-chemical properties and technological applications. pH-Potentiometric titration seems to offer a simple and convenient means of determining DDA. However, to obtain accurate pH-potentiometric DDA values, several factors have to be taken into consideration. We found that the moisture content of the air-dry chitosan samples can be as high as 15%, and a reasonable fraction of this humidity cannot be removed by ordinary drying. Corrections have to be made for the ash content, as in some samples it can be as high as 1% by weight. The method of equivalence point determination was also found to cause systematic variations in the results and in some samples extra acid as high as 1 mol% of the free amino content was also identified. To compensate for the latter effect, the second equivalence point of the titration has to be determined separately and the analytical concentration of the acid be corrected for it. All the corrections listed here are necessary to obtain DDA values that are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from (1)H NMR and IR spectroscopic measurements. The need for these corrections severely limits the usefulness of pH-metry for determining accurate DDA values and thus potentiometry is hardly able to compete with other standard spectroscopic procedures, that is, (1)H NMR spectroscopy.

Polymeric and compositional properties of novel extracellular microbial polyglucosamine biopolymer from new strain of citrobacter sp. BL-4

A novel polyglucosamine polymer, PGB-2, was produced extracellularly from a new strain Citrobacter sp. BL-4 using pH-stat fed batch cultivation. It was composed of 97.3% glucosamine and 2.7% rhamnose; its average molecular weight, solubility in 2% acetic acid and viscosity were 20 kDa, 5 g l(-1) and 2.9 cps, respectively. FT-IR and 1H NMR spectra of PGB-2 revealed a close identity with chitosan from crab shells.

High efficiency gene transfer using chitosan/DNA nanoparticles with specific combinations of molecular weight and degree of deacetylation

Chitosan is a biodegradable natural polysaccharide that has shown potential for gene delivery, although the ideal molecular weight (MW) and degree of deacetylation (DDA) for this application have not been elucidated. To examine the influence of these parameters on gene transfer, we produced chitosans with different DDAs (98%, 92%, 80% and 72%) and depolymerized them with nitrous acid to obtain different MWs (150, 80, 40 and 10 kDa). We produced 64 formulations of chitosan/pDNA complexes (16 chitosans, 2 amine-to-phosphate (N:P) ratios of 5:1 and 10:1 and 2 transfection media pH of 6.5 and 7.1), characterized them for size and surface charge, and tested them for gene transfection in HEK 293 cells in vitro. Several formulations produced high levels of transgene expression while two conditions, 92-10-5 and 80-10-10 [DDA-MW-N:P ratio] at pH 6.5, showed equivalence to our best positive control. The results also revealed an important coupling between DDA and MW of chitosan in determining transgene expression. Maximum expression was obtained with a certain combination of DDA and MW that depended on N:P ratio and the pH, but similar expression levels could be achieved by simultaneously lowering MW and increasing DDA or lowering DDA and increasing MW, suggesting a predominant role of particle stability, through co-operative electrostatic binding, in determining transfection efficiency.

Study of gamma-irradiation effects on chitosan microparticles

Gamma (gamma)-irradiation is finding increasing use in the sterilization of pharmaceutical products. However, irradiation also might affect the performance of drug delivery systems. In this study, the influence of gamma-irradiation on the characteristics of chitosan microparticles was investigated. The diclofenac sodium was incorporated into chitosan microparticles by spray-drying method. The chitosan microparticles (placebo and drug-loaded) were irradiated at doses of 5, 15, and 25 kGy using a (60)Co source. Later, the microparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. In addition, microparticles also were evaluated for their sizes, drug content, swelling, and drug release behavior. Encapsulation efficiency of irradiated and nonirradiated microparticles was essentially the same. Notably, surface roughness (rms) of placebo microparticles decreased significantly after gamma-irradiation when compared with nonirradiated placebo microparticles. FTIR spectroscopy revealed that gamma-irradiation of chitosan microparticles induced neither cross-linking nor formation of new group in the chitosan matrix. EPR spectroscopy results showed that the gamma rays induced only one kind of free radical in the chitosan matrix. Size, crystallinity, and thermal properties of the chitosan microparticles did not change much after gamma-irradiation. gamma-irradiated microparticles, exhibited a slightly higher drug release rate and low swelling capacity than the nonirradiated microparticles.

Determination of the degree of acetylation of chitosan by UV spectrophotometry using dual standards

Determination of the degree of acetylation of chitosan by UV spectrophotometry using dual standards is investigated. The UV absorbance of a pure chitosan solution is contributed additively by the N-acetylglucosamine and glucosamine residues; the absorbance divided by the total molar concentration of the residues (A/c(t)) is linearly related to the degree of acetylation (DA). Using acetyl glucosamine and glucosamine hydrochloride as standards in 0.1M hydrochloric acid solution, the equation obtained by linear regression is A/c(t)=3.3615 DA+0.0218, R(2)=0.9958. The DA of the analytical sample (m milligram of chitosan in V liters solution) can be calculated by.

A novel soft and cotton-like chitosan-sugar nanoscaffold

A novel type of chitosan nanoscaffold with a soft and cotton-like appearance is proposed. The key to success is based on two points: (i) the change in morphology of chitin whisker to chitosan nanoscaffold and (ii) the surface modification of the nanoscaffold chitosan with a sugar unit. Simple deacetylation of chitin whisker gives a colloidal solution of chitosan, of which the chitosan is in a nanoscaled scaffold. Surface functionalization of the chitosan nanoscaffold with lactose or maltose via a heterogeneous system in water at room temperature results in a soft and cotton-like chitosan containing mesopores. As all steps are organic solvent free, this chitosan-sugar nanoscaffold might be a promising material for biopolymer-supported tissue engineering.

Chitosan-glycerol phosphate/blood implants improve hyaline cartilage repair in ovine microfracture defects

BACKGROUND

Microfracture is a surgical procedure that is used to treat focal articular cartilage defects. Although joint function improves following microfracture, the procedure elicits incomplete repair. As blood clot formation in the microfracture defect is an essential initiating event in microfracture therapy, we hypothesized that the repair would be improved if the microfracture defect were filled with a blood clot that was stabilized by the incorporation of a thrombogenic and adhesive polymer, specifically, chitosan. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate (1) blood clot adhesion in fresh microfracture defects and (2) the quality of the repair, at six months postoperatively, of microfracture defects that had been treated with or without chitosan-glycerol phosphate/blood clot implants, using a sheep model.

METHODS

In eighteen sheep, two 1-cm2 full-thickness chondral defects were created in the distal part of the femur and treated with microfracture; one defect was made in the medial femoral condyle, and the other defect was made in the trochlea. In four sheep, microfracture defects were created bilaterally; the microfracture defects in one knee received no further treatment, and the microfracture defects in the contralateral knee were filled with chitosan-glycerol phosphate/autologous whole blood and the implants were allowed to solidify. Fresh defects in these four sheep were collected at one hour postoperatively to compare the retention of the chitosan-glycerol phosphate/blood clot with that of the normal clot and to define the histologic characteristics of these fresh defects. In the other fourteen sheep, microfracture defects were made in only one knee and either were left untreated (control group; six sheep) or were treated with chitosan-glycerol phosphate/blood implant (treatment group; eight sheep), and the quality of repair was assessed histologically, histomorphometrically, and biochemically at six months postoperatively.

RESULTS

In the defects that were examined one hour postoperatively, chitosan-glycerol phosphate/blood clots showed increased adhesion to the walls of the defects as compared with the blood clots in the untreated microfracture defects. After histological processing, all blood clots in the control microfracture defects had been lost, whereas chitosanglycerol phosphate/blood clot adhered to and was partly retained on the surfaces of the defect. At six months, defects that had been treated with chitosan-glycerol phosphate/blood were filled with significantly more hyaline repair tissue (p < 0.05) compared with control defects. Repair tissue from medial femoral condyle defects that had been treated with chitosan-glycerol phosphate/blood contained more cells and more collagen compared with control defects and showed complete restoration of glycosaminoglycan levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Solidification of a chitosan-glycerol phosphate/blood implant in microfracture defects improved cartilage repair compared with microfracture alone by increasing the amount of tissue and improving its biochemical composition and cellular organization.

Controlling cell adhesion and degradation of chitosan films by N-acetylation

As part of our ongoing effort to develop a biodegradable nerve guidance channel based on chitin/chitosan, we conducted a systematic in vitro study on the biodegradation and neural cell compatibility of chitosan and N-acetylated chitosan. The in vitro degradation (pH 7.4, 37 degrees C) in the presence of 1.5 microg/ml lysozyme showed a progressive mass loss to greater than 50% within 4 weeks for films with 30-70% acetylation. In contrast, the degradation of samples with very low or high acetylation was minimal over the 4-week period. Neural cell compatibility of chitosan and N-acetylated chitosan was tested using primary chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. All chitosan-based films showed DRG cell adhesion after 2 days of culture. However, cell viability decreased with increasing acetylation. Chitosan that was 0.5% acetylated had the greatest cell viability, which was approximately 8 times higher than that of chitosan that was 11% acetylated. Chitosan with 0.5% and 11% acetylation showed more and longer neurites than the other samples studied. Thus chitosan amine content can be tuned for optimal biodegradation and cell compatibility, which are important for tissue engineering in the nervous system.

Determination of the degree of deacetylation of chitin and chitosan by X-ray powder diffraction

A new method to determine the degree of deacetylation (DD) of alpha-chitin and chitosan in the range of 17-94% DD using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) is proposed. The results were calibrated using (1)H NMR spectroscopy for chitosan and FTIR for chitin, in comparison with the potentiometric titration method. The results showed a good linear correlation between the CrI020 from XRD and the calibrated DD value. This method is found to be simple, rapid and nondestructive to the sample.

Effect of Molecular Weight on the Exponential Growth and Morphology of Hyaluronan/Chitosan Multilayers: A Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy Investigation

The layer-by-layer growth of multilayer assemblies of two polysaccharides, the polyanion hyaluronan (HA) and the polycation chitosan (CH), was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy, with primary emphasis on the effect of the polysaccharide molecular weights on the film thickness and surface morphology. The HA/CH multilayers exhibit an exponential increase of the optical film thickness with the number of deposited bilayers. We show that the multilayer thickness at a given stage depends on the size of both CH, the diffusing polyelectrolyte, and HA, the non-diffusing species. Assemblies (12 bilayers) of high molecular weight polysaccharides (HA, 360,000; CH, 160,000) were twice as thick (approximately 900 nm vs approximately 450 nm) as those obtained with low molecular weight polymers (HA, 30,000; CH, 31,000), as assessed by AFM scratch tests. The exponential growth rate is the same for the high and low molecular weight pairs; the larger film thicknesses observed by SPR and by AFM arising from an earlier onset of the steep exponential growth phase in the case of the high molecular weight pair. In all cases, isolated islets form during the deposition of the first CH layer onto the underlying HA. Upon further film growth, individual islets coalesce into larger vermiculate features. The transition from distinct islands to vermiculate structures depends on the molecular weights of the polysaccharides and the lower molecular weight construct presents larger worm-like surface domains than the high molecular weight pair.

Comparative adsorption studies of indigo carmine dye on chitin and chitosan

The adsorption of indigo carmine dye onto chitin and chitosan from aqueous solutions was followed in a batch system. The ability of these materials to adsorb indigo carmine dye from aqueous solution was followed through a series of adsorption isotherms adjusted to a modified Langmuir equation. The maximum number of moles adsorbed was 1.24 +/- 0.16 x 10(-5) and 1.54 +/- 0.03 x 10(-4) mol g(-1) for chitin and chitosan, respectively. The same interactions were calorimetrically followed and the thermodynamic data showed exothermic enthalpic values of -40.12 +/- 3.52 and -29.25 +/- 1.93 kJ mol(-1) for chitin and chitosan, respectively. Gibbs free energies for the two adsorption processes of indigo carmine dye presented a positive value for chitin and a negative one for chitosan, reflecting that dye/surface interactions are thermodynamic favorable for chitosan and nonspontaneous for chitin at 298.15 K. The interaction processes were accompanied by an increase of entropy value for chitosan (90 +/- 6 J mol(-1)K(-1)) and a decrease for chitin (-145 +/- 13 J mol(-1)K(-1)). Thus, dye/chitosan interaction showed favorable enthalpic and entropic processes, reflecting thermodynamic stability of the formed complex, while dye/chitin interaction showed an exothermic enthalpic value and a highly nonfavorable entropic effect, resulting in a nonspontaneous thermodynamic system.

Chitin-based tubes for tissue engineering in the nervous system

The purpose of this study was to investigate chitin and chitosan as potential materials for biodegradable nerve guides. Transparent chitin hydrogel tubes were synthesized, for the first time, from chitosan solutions using acylation chemistry and mold casting techniques. Alkaline hydrolysis of chitin tubes resulted in chitosan tubes, with the extent of hydrolysis controlling the resulting amine content. This, in turn, impacted compressive strength and cell adhesion. Chitosan tubes were mechanically stronger than their chitin origins, as measured by the transverse compressive test, where tubes having degrees of acetylation of 1%, 3%, 18% (i.e. chitosan) and 94% (i.e. chitin) supported loads at a 30% displacement of 40.6 +/- 4.3, 25.3 +/- 4.5, 10.6 +/- 0.8, and 8.7 +/- 0.4 g, respectively. However, the chitin processing methodology could be optimized for compressive strength, by either incorporating reinforcing coils in the tube wall, or air-drying the hydrogel tubes. Chitin and chitosan supported adhesion and differentiation of primary chick dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro. Chitosan films showed significantly enhanced neurite outgrowth relative to chitin films, reflecting the dependence of nerve cell affinity on the amine content in the polysaccharide: neurites extended 1794.7 +/- 392.0 microm/mm(2) on chitosan films vs. 140.5 +/- 41.6 microm/mm(2) on chitin films after 2 days of culture. This implies that cell adhesion and neurite extension can be adjusted by amine content, which is important for tissue engineering in the nervous system. The methods for easy processing and modification of chitin and chitosan described herein, allow the mechanical properties and cyto-compatibility to be controlled and provide a means for a broader investigation into their use in biomedical applications.