Hydrolysis of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) nanoparticles

Enhanced ligand-free attachment of osteoblast to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) nanoparticles

Polymeric nanoparticles have previously been used as substrates for cell attachment and proliferation due to their ability to mimic the extracellular matrix, but in general, they require surface chemical modifications to achieve this purpose. In this study, polymeric nanoparticles were developed and used without any matrix ligands functionalized on their surface to promote cell attachment and proliferation of human osteoblasts (MG63s). First, telechelic, reduced molar mass and diol-functionalized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) was prepared by transesterification using ethylene glycol. Then, PHBV-diol was used to prepare biodegradable nanoparticles via the solvent evaporation technique. MG63s were cultured in the presence of PHBV nanoparticles and growth kinetics were compared to that on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS). Cell attachment on non-tissue culture polystyrene pre-coated with nanoparticles was assessed and compared to attachment on TCPS. The cell attachment study demonstrated that cells readily attached and were well spread onto the nanoparticle surfaces compared to non-tissue culture polystyrene. These findings reveal the potential of PHBV nanoparticles for cell attachment and growth to be used in tissue engineering.

Morphology Dependence Degradation of Electro- and Magnetoactive Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) for Tissue Engineering Applications

Poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a piezoelectric biodegradable and biocompatible polymer suitable for tissue engineering applications. The incorporation of magnetostrictive cobalt ferrites (CFO) into PHBV matrix enables the production of magnetically responsive composites, which proved to be effective in the differentiation of a variety of cells and tissues. In this work, PHBV and PHBV with CFO nanoparticles were produced in the form of films, fibers and porous scaffolds and subjected to an experimental program allowing to evaluate the degradation process under biological conditions for a period up to 8 weeks. The morphology, physical, chemical and thermal properties were evaluated, together with the weight loss of the samples during the in vitro degradation assays. No major changes in the mentioned properties were found, thus proving its applicability for tissue engineering applications. Degradation was apparent from week 4 and onwards, leading to the conclusion that the degradation ratio of the material is suitable for a large range of tissue engineering applications. Further, it was found that the degradation of the samples maintain the biocompatibility of the materials for the pristine polymer, but can lead to cytotoxic effects when the magnetic CFO nanoparticles are exposed, being therefore needed, for magnetoactive applications, to substitute them by biocompatible ferrites, such as an iron oxide (Fe3O4).

Zwitterionic Polyhydroxybutyrate Electrospun Fibrous Membranes with a Compromise of Bioinert Control and Tissue-Cell Growth

We present a method for surface modification by thermal-evaporation self-assembling of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) fibrous membranes with a copolymer of hydrophobic octadecyl acrylate repeat units and hydrophilic zwitterionic 4-vinylpyridine blocks, zP(4VP-r-ODA), in view of controlling biofoulant-fiber interactions. PHB is of interest as a material for bioscaffolding, but its disadvantage is its hydrophobicity, which leads to unwanted interactions with proteins, blood cells, or bacteria. Surface modification of electrospun PHB fibers addresses this issue because the hydrophilicity of the membranes is improved, leading to a significant reduction in bovine serum albumin (92%), lysozyme (73%), and fibrinogen (50%) adsorption. From a coating density of 0.78 mg/cm², no bacteria interacted with the fibers, and from 1.13 mg/cm², excellent hemocompatibility of membranes was measured from thrombocytes, erythrocytes, leukocytes, and whole blood attachment tests. Additionally, HT-1080 fibroblasts were observed to develop in contact with the fibers after 3-7 days of incubation (cell density up to 329 ± 16 cells/mm²), suggesting that zP(4VP-r-ODA) provides an adequate humid environment for their growth. Providing an effective control of the surface chemistry and of the coating density, the association of PHB and zP(4VP-r-ODA) can promote the growth of fibroblasts, still maintaining resistance to unwanted biofoulants, and appears to be a promising composite material for tissue engineering.

Validation of an Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) technique for the quantitative determination of curcumin in poly(L-lactic acid) nanoparticles

Curcumin is a natural yellow-orange pigment extracted from turmeric and is a potential substitute of health-dangerous artificial dyes. Nanoencapsulation in biodegradable polymers is a promising alternative to improve curcumin stability and water solubility but curcumin concentration inside the nanoparticles must be precisely known. A reliable method to determine the actual curcumin concentration must be validated since the validation procedures warrant that the method is adequate and sufficient for the specific application involved. This work describes the validation parameters given by the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines to adopt an analytical method based on Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy for the quantitative determination of curcumin encapsulated in poly(l-lactic acid) nanoparticles. This method was validated in respect to linearity, detection limit, quantification limit, accuracy and precision. Studies on the analytical procedure validation warranted safety in final results obtained for the curcumin concentration in the nanoparticles.