title: Synthesis, characterization and bioactivity studies of novel beta-chitin scaffolds for tissue-engineering applications.
abstract: Chitin is a biopolymer and it is non-toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible. Chitin has many potential industrial applications because of its abundance, biodegradability, non-toxicity, chemical inertness. beta-Chitin scaffolds were prepared by using saturated calcium chloride alcoholic solution (CaCl(2).6H(2)O/EtOH) and then followed by dialysis with lyophilization. The prepared beta-chitin scaffolds were characterized by FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric (TGA). The preliminary bioactivity studies of beta-chitin scaffolds were studied by using simulated body fluid (SBF) solution for 7, 14 and 21 days. We also immersed the beta-chitin scaffolds in saturated aqueous CaCl(2) and Na(2)HPO(4) solution over 12h. After 7, 14 and 21 days, the scaffolds were characterized by SEM and FT-IR studies. The SEM studies showed that there is a calcium phosphate layer in the surface as well as in the cross-section of beta-chitin scaffolds. It seems that the beta-chitin scaffolds are useful in the tissue-engineering field.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry, Materials and Bioengineering and High Technology Research Centre, Kansai University, Osaka 564-8680, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jayakumar
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagahama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furuike
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamura
mesh_terms: D002686:Chitin / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D002686:Chitin