Chitosan/Phenolic Compounds Scaffolds for Connective Tissue Regeneration

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Chitosan is a versatile biopolymer for tissue engineering scaffolds.
• Modification with phenolic acids can enhance chitosan properties.
• In vivo evaluation is crucial for assessing biomaterial biocompatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the in vivo compatibility of chitosan scaffolds modified with gallic acid, ferulic acid, or tannic acid.
• To evaluate the influence of phenolic acid modifications on chitosan scaffold resorption and tissue integration.
• To assess the safety and biological performance of these novel biomaterials.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of chitosan-based scaffolds modified with gallic acid, ferulic acid, and tannic acid.
• In vivo implantation of scaffolds into rabbit latissimus dorsi muscle.
• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis.
• Evaluation of antioxidant properties and blood compatibility.

Main Results:

• All tested chitosan scaffolds, including the unmodified control, were found to be safe and non-toxic in vivo.
• Scaffolds modified with gallic acid and tannic acid exhibited accelerated resorption rates.
• Faster tissue organization was observed in areas with faster resorbing gallic acid and tannic acid-modified scaffolds.
• Ferulic acid-modified and unmodified chitosan scaffolds showed slower resorption and tissue integration.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan scaffolds modified with gallic acid and tannic acid demonstrate enhanced biocompatibility and faster in vivo degradation.
• These modified scaffolds promote more rapid tissue organization compared to ferulic acid-modified or unmodified chitosan.
• Phenolic acid modification offers a viable strategy to tune the resorption and integration kinetics of chitosan scaffolds for regenerative medicine.