Effect of Chitin Nanofibrils on Biocompatibility and Bioactivity of the Chitosan-Based Composite Film Matrix Intended for Tissue Engineering

Materials (Basel). 2019 Jun 10;12(11):1874. doi: 10.3390/ma12111874.

Abstract

This paper discusses the mechanical and physicochemical properties of film matrices based on chitosan, as well as the possibility of optimizing these properties by adding chitin nanofibrils. It is shown that with the introduction of chitin nanofibrils as a filler, the mechanical stability of the composite materials increases. By varying the concentration of chitin nanofibrils, it is possible to obtain a spectrum of samples with different bioactive properties for the growth of human dermal fibroblasts. Film matrices based on the nanocomposite of chitosan and 5 wt % chitin nanofibrils have an optimal balance of mechanical and physicochemical properties and bioactivity in relation to the culture of human dermal fibroblasts.

Keywords: chitin nanofibrils; chitosan; composite matrix; tissue engineering.