Use of gum arabic to improve the fabrication of chitosan–gelatin-based nanofibers for tissue engineering

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 115; pp. 525 - 532
• Main Authors: Tsai, Ruei-Yi, Kuo, Ting-Yun, Hung, Shih-Chieh, Lin, Che-Min, Hsien, Tzu-Yang, Wang, Da-Ming, Hsieh, Hsyue-Jen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 22.01.2015
• Subjects: Acetic Acid - chemistry; Cell Adhesion; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Chitosan; Chitosan - chemistry; Cross-Linking Reagents - chemistry; Cytocompatibility; Electrospinning; Gelatin; Gelatin - chemistry; Glutaral - chemistry; Gum arabic; Gum Arabic - chemistry; Humans; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - physiology; Nanofibers - chemistry; Polyvinyl Alcohol - chemistry; Porosity; Tensile Strength; Tissue Engineering; Viscosity; Viscosity; Electrospinning; Chitosan; Gum arabic; Cytocompatibility; Gelatin
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.08.108

•Use of gum arabic could produce a solution with high chitosan–gelatin content (16wt%).•No corrosive or expensive solvents were used.•The solution was electrospun into chitosan–gelatin-rich nanofibers.•The nanofibers were cytocompatible and thus suitable for use in tissue engineering.•A novel method to fabricate chitosan–gelatin-based nanofibers was established. Current techniques for fabricating chitosan–gelatin-based nanofibers require the use of corrosive and expensive solvents. Our novel method, however, using gum arabic and a mild (20wt%) aqueous acetic acid solution as solvent can produce a solution with much higher chitosan–gelatin content (16wt%). Without gum arabic, which greatly decreases the viscosity of the solution, such an outcome was unachievable. The solution was utilized to prepare electrospun chitosan–gelatin–polyvinyl alcohol–gum arabic nanofibers with a weight ratio of 8:8:2:0.5 (C8G8P2A0.5 nanofibers), in which polyvinyl alcohol could stabilize the electrospinning process. The stability and tensile strength (2.53MPa) of C8G8P2A0.5 nanofibers (mats) were enhanced by glutaraldehyde crosslinking. Furthermore, mesenchymal stem cells attached and proliferated well on the mat. The strength-enhanced and cytocompatible C8G8P2A0.5 mats are thereby suitable for tissue engineering applications. More importantly, we have created a less expensive and safer method (one not using hazardous solvents) to fabricate chitosan–gelatin-based nanofibers.