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Chitosan Microparticles: Development, Characterization and Biomedical Applications
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Chitosan Microparticles: Development, Characterization and Biomedical Applications

A special issue of Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN 2079-4983). This special issue belongs to the section "Synthesis of Biomaterials via Advanced Technologies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 13839

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Patríci Batista

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Guest Editor
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal
Interests: biotechnology; in vivo assays; nanotechnology; food nutrition; health sciences
Dr. Manuela Pintado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Interests: biotechnology and biochemistry; development and compositional characterization and validation of bioactivity of functional ingredients (proteins and biopeptides, antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics, and antimicrobials); development of novel functional foods; obtain high-added value products; microbiology and biochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Clara Piccirillo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Nanotechnology NANOTEC, Italian National Research Council (CNR), 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: antimicrobials; materials; biotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chitosan is an attractive biopolymer, has excellent biochemical properties, and is cheap and eco-friendly. It has been widely used in the cosmetic, biotechnology, and biomedical industries, among other applications.

This polymer has been very used in microencapsulation technology. This technology has been widely used in delivery systems to improve, protect and increase the molecule’s stability, and improve dispersion properties. Additionally, it is employed for quality and safety in , biomedical and environmental sectors There are several microencapsulation methods, and different materials can be used, and chitosan is one of the most used only or combined with other materials.

This Special Issue aims to cover recent research on chitosan microparticles: development, characterization, and applications in several areas. Different methodologies and applications can be endorsed, as well as new characterization methods. Types of contributions can be original research papers, short communications and reviews.

Dr. Patrícia Batista
Dr. Manuela Pintado
Dr. Clara Piccirillo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Biomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • chitosan
  • microparticles
  • biomedical
  • regeneration
  • delivery systems

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4481 KiB  
Article
Promising Materials in the Fight against Healthcare-Associated Infections: Antibacterial Properties of Chitosan-Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes Hybrid Hydrogels
by Antonio Laganà, Alessio Facciolà, Daniela Iannazzo, Consuelo Celesti, Evelina Polimeni, Carmelo Biondo, Angela Di Pietro and Giuseppa Visalli
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(8), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14080428 - 17 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2054
Abstract
New technologies and materials could help in this fight against healthcare-associated infections. As the majority of these infections are caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the development of materials with intrinsic antibacterial properties is a promising field of research. We combined chitosan (CS), with antibacterial [...] Read more.
New technologies and materials could help in this fight against healthcare-associated infections. As the majority of these infections are caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the development of materials with intrinsic antibacterial properties is a promising field of research. We combined chitosan (CS), with antibacterial properties, with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS), a biocompatible polymer with physico-chemical, mechanical, and rheological properties, creating a hydrogel using cross-linking agent genipin. The antibacterial properties of CS and CS-POSS hydrogels were investigated against nosocomial Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria both in terms of membrane damage and surface charge variations, and finally, the anti-biofilm property was studied through confocal microscopy. Both materials showed a good antibacterial capacity against all analyzed strains, both in suspension, with % decreases between 36.36 and 73.58 for CS and 29.86 and 66.04 for CS-POSS, and in plates with % decreases between 55.29 and 78.32 and 17.00 and 53.99 for CS and CS-POSS, respectively. The treated strains compared to the baseline condition showed an important membrane damage, which also determined a variation of surface charges, and finally, for both hydrogels, a remarkable anti-biofilm property was highlighted. Our findings showed a possible future use of these biocompatible materials in the manufacture of medical and surgical devices with intrinsic antibacterial and anti-biofilm properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan Microparticles: Development, Characterization and Biomedical Applications)
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17 pages, 5741 KiB  
Article
Fabrication and Characterization of Electrospun Chitosan/Polylactic Acid (CH/PLA) Nanofiber Scaffolds for Biomedical Application
by Yevhen Samokhin, Yuliia Varava, Kateryna Diedkova, Ilya Yanko, Yevheniia Husak, Julia Radwan-Pragłowska, Oksana Pogorielova, Łukasz Janus, Maksym Pogorielov and Viktoriia Korniienko
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(8), 414; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14080414 - 5 Aug 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2891
Abstract
The present study demonstrates a strategy for preparing porous composite fibrous materials with superior biocompatibility and antibacterial performance. The findings reveal that the incorporation of PEG into the spinning solutions significantly influences the fiber diameters, morphology, and porous area fraction. The addition of [...] Read more.
The present study demonstrates a strategy for preparing porous composite fibrous materials with superior biocompatibility and antibacterial performance. The findings reveal that the incorporation of PEG into the spinning solutions significantly influences the fiber diameters, morphology, and porous area fraction. The addition of a hydrophilic homopolymer, PEG, into the Ch/PLA spinning solution enhances the hydrophilicity of the resulting materials. The hybrid fibrous materials, comprising Ch modified with PLA and PEG as a co-solvent, along with post-treatment to improve water stability, exhibit a slower rate of degradation (stable, moderate weight loss over 16 weeks) and reduced hydrophobicity (lower contact angle, reaching 21.95 ± 2.17°), rendering them promising for biomedical applications. The antibacterial activity of the membranes is evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with PEG-containing samples showing a twofold increase in bacterial reduction rate. In vitro cell culture studies demonstrated that PEG-containing materials promote uniform cell attachment, comparable to PEG-free nanofibers. The comprehensive evaluation of these novel materials, which exhibit improved physical, chemical, and biological properties, highlights their potential for biomedical applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan Microparticles: Development, Characterization and Biomedical Applications)
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25 pages, 10018 KiB  
Article
Fluorescent Probes with Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Function for Monitoring the Gelation and Formation of Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan Copolymers
by Igor D. Zlotnikov, Ivan V. Savchenko and Elena V. Kudryashova
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(8), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14080401 - 27 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1451
Abstract
Nanogel-forming polymers such as chitosan and alginic acid have a number of practical applications in the fields of drug delivery, food technology and agrotechnology as biocompatible, biodegradable polymers. Unlike bulk macrogel formation, which is followed by visually or easily detectable changes and physical [...] Read more.
Nanogel-forming polymers such as chitosan and alginic acid have a number of practical applications in the fields of drug delivery, food technology and agrotechnology as biocompatible, biodegradable polymers. Unlike bulk macrogel formation, which is followed by visually or easily detectable changes and physical parameters, such as viscosity or turbidity, the formation of nanogels is not followed by such changes and is therefore very difficult to track. The counterflow extrusion method (or analogues) enables gel nanoparticle formation for certain polymers, including chitosan and its derivatives. DLS or TEM, which are typically used for their characterization, only allow for the study of the already-formed nanoparticles. Alternatively, one might introduce a fluorescent dye into the gel-forming polymer, with the purpose of monitoring the effect of its microenvironment on the fluorescence spectra. But apparently, this approach does not provide a sufficiently specific signal, as the microenvironment may be affected by a big number of various factors (such as pH changes) including but not limited to gel formation per se. Here, we propose a new approach, based on the FRET effect, which we believe is much more specific and enables the elucidation of nanogel formation process in real time. Tryptophan-Pyrene is suggested as one of the donor–acceptor pairs, yielding the FRET effect when the two compounds are in close proximity to one another. We covalently attached Pyrene (the acceptor) to the chitosan (or PEG-chitosan) polymeric chain. The amount of introduced Pyrene was low enough to produce no significant effect on the properties of the resulting gel nanoparticles, but high enough to detect the FRET effect upon its interaction with Trp. When the Pyr-modified chitosan and Trp are both present in the solution, no FRET effect is observed. But as soon as the gel formation is initiated using the counterflow extrusion method, the FRET effect is easily detectable, manifested in a sharp increase in the fluorescence intensity of the pyrene acceptor and reflecting the gel formation process in real time. Apparently, the gel formation promotes the Trp-Pyr stacking interaction, which is deemed necessary for the FRET effect, and which does not occur in the solution. Further, we observed a similar FRET effect when the chitosan gel formation is a result of the covalent crosslinking of chitosan chains with genipin. Interestingly, using ovalbumin, having numerous Trp exposed on the protein surface instead of individual Trp yields a FRET effect similar to Trp. In all cases, we were able to detect the pH-, concentration- and temperature-dependent behaviors of the polymers as well as the kinetics of the gel formation for both nanogels and macrogels. These findings indicate a broad applicability of FRET-based analysis in biomedical practice, ranging from the optimization of gel formation to the encapsulation of therapeutic agents to food and biomedical technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan Microparticles: Development, Characterization and Biomedical Applications)
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20 pages, 3550 KiB  
Article
Immobilisation of Cellobiose Dehydrogenase and Laccase on Chitosan Particles as a Multi-Enzymatic System for the Synthesis of Lactobionic Acid
by Justyna Sulej, Wiktoria Piątek-Gołda, Marcin Grąz, Katarzyna Szałapata, Piotr Waśko, Ewa Janik-Zabrotowicz and Monika Osińska-Jaroszuk
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(7), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14070383 - 21 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1847
Abstract
Lactobionic acid (LBA) is a bioactive compound that has become increasingly popular in medicine in recent years due to its unique properties. This chemical can be formed via the enzymatic oxidation of lactose using fungal oxidoreductive enzymes. This study aimed to intensify the [...] Read more.
Lactobionic acid (LBA) is a bioactive compound that has become increasingly popular in medicine in recent years due to its unique properties. This chemical can be formed via the enzymatic oxidation of lactose using fungal oxidoreductive enzymes. This study aimed to intensify the synthesis of LBA using immobilised enzymes (cellobiose dehydrogenase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium (PchCDH) and laccase from Cerrena unicolor (CuLAC)) on chitosan microspheres. We used three different crosslinking agents: genipin, glutaraldehyde, and polyethyleneimine to activate the chitosan. The FTIR and CellDrop techniques were used to characterise the activated microspheres. Quantitative (HPLC) and qualitative (TLC) methods were used to determine the obtained LBA. The results show that the type of activator used influences the efficiency of the binding of the enzyme to the matrix. Furthermore, the amount of LBA formed depends on the type of system used. The use of a system in which one of the enzymes is immobilised on a PEI-activated carrier (PchCDH) and the other is free (CuLAC) proved to be the most optimal, as it yielded almost 100% conversion of lactose to lactobionic acid. Summarising the data obtained the following: lactobionic acid immobilised on chitosan microspheres has great potential for medical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan Microparticles: Development, Characterization and Biomedical Applications)
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14 pages, 1996 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Chitosan Films with the Bioactive Substances—Caffeine and Propolis
by Karolina Stefanowska, Magdalena Woźniak, Anna Sip, Lucyna Mrówczyńska, Jerzy Majka, Wojciech Kozak, Renata Dobrucka and Izabela Ratajczak
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(7), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14070358 - 9 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2282
Abstract
Chitosan is a natural and biodegradable polymer with promising potential for biomedical applications. This study concerns the production of chitosan-based materials for future use in the medical industry. Bioactive substances—caffeine and ethanolic propolis extract (EEP)—were incorporated into a chitosan matrix to increase the [...] Read more.
Chitosan is a natural and biodegradable polymer with promising potential for biomedical applications. This study concerns the production of chitosan-based materials for future use in the medical industry. Bioactive substances—caffeine and ethanolic propolis extract (EEP)—were incorporated into a chitosan matrix to increase the bioactivity of the obtained films and improve their mechanical properties. Acetic and citric acids were used as solvents in the production of the chitosan-based films. The obtained materials were characterized in terms of their antibacterial and antifungal activities, as well as their mechanical properties, including tensile strength and elongation at break. Moreover, the chemical structures and surface morphologies of the films were assessed. The results showed that the solution consisting of chitosan, citric acid, caffeine, and EEP exhibited an excellent antiradical effect. The activity of this solution (99.13%) was comparable to that of the standard antioxidant Trolox (92.82%). In addition, the film obtained from this solution showed good antibacterial activity, mainly against Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis. The results also revealed that the films produced with citric acid exhibited higher activity levels against pathogenic bacteria than the films obtained with acetic acid. The antimicrobial effect of the chitosan-based films could be further enhanced by adding bioactive additives such as caffeine and propolis extract. The mechanical tests showed that the solvents and additives used affected the mechanical properties of the films obtained. The film produced from chitosan and acetic acid was characterized by the highest tensile strength value (46.95 MPa) while the chitosan-based film with citric acid showed the lowest value (2.28 MPa). The addition of caffeine and propolis to the film based on chitosan with acetic acid decreased its tensile strength while in the case of the chitosan-based film with citric acid, an increase in strength was observed. The obtained results suggested that chitosan films with natural bioactive substances can be a promising alternative to the traditional materials used in the medical industry, for example, as including biodegradable wound dressings or probiotic encapsulation materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan Microparticles: Development, Characterization and Biomedical Applications)
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16 pages, 5423 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Characterization of Gluten/SDS/Chitosan Composite Hydrogel Based on Hydrophobic and Electrostatic Interactions
by Guangfeng Li, Ni Lan, Yanling Huang, Chou Mo, Qiaoli Wang, Chaoxi Wu and Yifei Wang
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(4), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14040222 - 14 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2415
Abstract
Gluten is a natural byproduct derived from wheat starch, possessing ideal biocompatibility. However, its poor mechanical properties and heterogeneous structure are not suitable for cell adhesion in biomedical applications. To resolve the issues, we prepare novel gluten (G)/sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS)/chitosan (CS) composite [...] Read more.
Gluten is a natural byproduct derived from wheat starch, possessing ideal biocompatibility. However, its poor mechanical properties and heterogeneous structure are not suitable for cell adhesion in biomedical applications. To resolve the issues, we prepare novel gluten (G)/sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS)/chitosan (CS) composite hydrogels by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Specifically, gluten is modified by SDS to give it a negatively charged surface, and then it conjugates with positively charged chitosan to form the hydrogel. In addition, the composite formative process, surface morphology, secondary network structure, rheological property, thermal stability, and cytotoxicity are investigated. Moreover, this work demonstrates that the change can occur in surface hydrophobicity caused by the pH−eading influence of hydrogen bonds and polypeptide chains. Meanwhile, the reversible non−covalent bonding in the networks is beneficial to improving the stability of the hydrogels, which shows a prominent prospect in biomedical engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan Microparticles: Development, Characterization and Biomedical Applications)
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