Physicochemical properties and biological activities of novel blend films using oxidized pectin/chitosan

Pectin has been widely used in a variety of biomedical applications. In this study, it was modified with sodium periodate as an oxidant and characterized by physicochemical methods Periodate oxidation increased the contents of dialdehyde units and carboxyl groups in pectin, and a decrease in pectin viscosity was measured. The oxidization reaction led to a significant decrease in all values of molecular weight and size (Mn, Mw, [η] and Rh) as determined by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), which allowed the selection of the oxidized pectin to be added to chitosan. Chitosan-based films were characterized by infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. Thermal behaviour studies demonstrated that interactions existed between chitosan and oxidized pectin. The haemolysis percentages of films were found to be less than 5%, which indicated their good blood compatibility. Finally, the antibacterial activity was clearly improved. Cross-linking reactions between pectin and chitosan through ionic bonds and amide bonds and between chitosan and oxidized pectin through Schiff base formation were evidenced, which opens the way to extend applications of these polysaccharides; notably, the biocompatibility and biodegradability of these new networks is convenient for pharmaceutical, biomedical or cosmetic applications.