Synthesis, thermal properties and cell-compatibility of photocrosslinked cinnamoyl-modified hydroxypropyl cellulose

Biocompatibility of cinnamoyl-modified carbohydrate materials is not well-known, while they are attracting attention as a photoreactive material. In order to investigate biocompatible properties of cinnamoyl-modified carbohydrate, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) was reacted with cinnamoyl chloride to yield cinnamoyl-modified HPC (HPC-C) for a cell proliferation test. HPC-Cs with three different degrees of substitution (DS) were prepared by changing a feed ratio of cinnamoyl chloride to HPC. The DS of the products ranged from 1.3 to 3.0 per one hydroxylpropyl anhydroglucose unit. Thermal analysis using DSC and TGA showed that the HPC-C with higher DS has a glass transition temperature and higher thermal stability. Ultraviolet (UV) light was irradiated on the HPC-C thin films, and changes in the UV-vis spectrum of the films were examined. In the course of UV irradiation, the absorbance at 280 nm was reduced. Fibroblast cells were cultured on the photocrosslinked HPC-C films, and cell growth was examined. The cell proliferation test revealed that the photocrosslinked HPC-C films have good compatibility with fibroblast cells.