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Published on: October 17, 2016
Preparation and characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoates macroporous scaffold through enzyme-mediated modifications
Nor Faezah Ansari1, A A Amirul
1School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology
|April 23, 2013
Summary
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable thermoplastics. Optimizing enzymatic degradation conditions enhanced PHA film weight loss, making them suitable for biomedical scaffolds.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable thermoplastics with excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties.
- PHAs are extensively researched for biomedical applications, including tissue engineering scaffolds.
- Controlling the degradation rate of PHAs is crucial for their effective use in vivo.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize the enzymatic degradation rate of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB)) films using response surface methodology (RSM).
- To investigate the enzymatic degradation of various PHA films under optimized conditions.
- To explore surface modification techniques for enhancing the suitability of PHA scaffolds for biomedical applications.
Main Methods:
- Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize parameters influencing P(3HB) film enzymatic degradation.
- Enzymatic degradation studies were conducted using an extracellular PHA depolymerase from Acidovorax sp. DP5 at 37 °C and pH 9.0.
- Surface modification techniques, including salt-leaching and incorporation of chitosan or alginate, were employed.
- Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze scaffold porosity and surface morphology.
Main Results:
- The optimized RSM model resulted in a 21% weight loss of P(3HB) film, a significant increase compared to conventional methods.
- Salt-leached PHA films exhibited higher porosity and increased degradation rates compared to solvent-cast films.
- Incorporating chitosan or alginate into degraded salt-leached films enhanced hydrophilicity and water uptake.
- Enzymatic degradation behavior was influenced by PHA monomer composition, crystallinity, molecular weight, and surface properties.
Conclusions:
- Optimized enzymatic degradation conditions significantly enhance PHA film degradation.
- Surface modification techniques, particularly salt-leaching, create porous PHA scaffolds suitable for biomedical applications.
- The combination of salt-leaching and partial enzymatic degradation promotes cell attachment, making these PHAs promising for tissue engineering scaffolds.
