A facile method for preparing biodegradable chitosan derivatives with low grafting degree of poly(lactic acid)

Int J Biol Macromol. 2011 Dec 1;49(5):1016-21. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2011.08.022. Epub 2011 Aug 27.

Abstract

Chemical modification of chitosan by grafting with PLA (CS-g-PLA) was developed via 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) mediated coupling reaction. The introduction of PLA disrupted the crystalline structure of chitosan, improved its solubility and thermal stability. Low degree of PLA substitution showed better degradation efficiency than chitosan and PLA. Weight loss of CS-g-PLA6 and CS-g-PLA4 was 87% and 94%, respectively, in 7 days enzymatic degradation study. CS-g-PLA2 was totally degraded in 1 day. Self-assembly behavior was studied using pyrene fluorescence dye technique and found to be PLA grafting level dependent. CS-g-PLA with low grafting degree showed hydrophilic, self-assembling properties and controllable biodegradability that may widen its applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biocompatible Materials / analysis
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemical synthesis*
  • Biocompatible Materials / metabolism
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Carbodiimides / chemistry*
  • Chitosan / analogs & derivatives*
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Lactic Acid / chemistry*
  • Lactic Acid / metabolism
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Polyesters
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Polymers / metabolism
  • Solubility
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Tissue Engineering / methods*
  • Trypsin / metabolism

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Carbodiimides
  • Polyesters
  • Polymers
  • Lactic Acid
  • poly(lactide)
  • Chitosan
  • Trypsin