Producing ultrapure wood cellulose nanofibrils and evaluating the cytotoxicity using human skin cells

Henriette Rogstad Nordli; Gary Chinga-Carrasco; Anne Mari Rokstad; Brita Pukstad

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.04.094

Producing ultrapure wood cellulose nanofibrils and evaluating the cytotoxicity using human skin cells

Carbohydr Polym. 2016 Oct 5:150:65-73. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.04.094. Epub 2016 Apr 27.

Authors

Henriette Rogstad Nordli¹, Gary Chinga-Carrasco², Anne Mari Rokstad³, Brita Pukstad⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: henriette.r.nordli@ntnu.no.
² PFI, Høgskoleringen 6b, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: gary.chinga.carrasco@pfi.no.
³ Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research, and Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority (RHA) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway. Electronic address: anne.m.rokstad@ntnu.no.
⁴ Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Department of Dermatology, St. Olavs Hospital HF, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: brita.pukstad@ntnu.no.

PMID: 27312614
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.04.094

Abstract

Wood cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) have been suggested as a potential wound healing material, but its utilization is limited by FDA requirements regarding endotoxin levels. In this study a method using sodium hydroxide followed by TEMPO mediated oxidation was developed to produce ultrapure cellulose nanofibrils, with an endotoxin level of 45 endotoxin units/g (EU/g) cellulose. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (S(T)EM) revealed a highly nanofibrillated structure (lateral width of 3.7±1.3nm). Assessment of cytotoxicity and metabolic activity on Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts and Human Epidermal Keratinocytes was done. CNF-dispersion of 50μg/ml did not affect the cells. CNF-aerogels induced a reduction of metabolic activity by the fibroblasts and keratinocytes, but no significant cell death. Cytokine profiling revealed no induction of the 27 cytokines tested upon exposure to CNF. The moisture-holding capacity of aerogels was relatively high (∼7500%), compared to a commercially available wound dressing (∼2500%), indicating that the CNF material is promising as dressing material for management of wounds with a moderate to high amount of exudate.

Keywords: Cytotoxicity; Endotoxins; Fibroblasts; Keratinocytes; Ultrapure cellulose nanofibrils.

MeSH terms

Cellulose / chemistry*
Cellulose / toxicity*
Cytokines / metabolism
Cytotoxins / chemistry*
Cytotoxins / toxicity*
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Humans
Nanofibers / toxicity*
Skin / cytology
Skin / drug effects*
Wood / chemistry*

Substances

Cytokines
Cytotoxins
Cellulose