Preparation and cytotoxicity evaluation of chitosan-sodium alginate composite gel

Zhang Lin-pu; Wang Guan-hua; Lian Xiao-li; Li Yan-ni; Dai Xiao-hua

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2014.21.006

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Sodium alginate and chitosan are the polycation and polyanion natural polymer materials respectively, and they can be crosslinking agents complementing each other to form composite gel and avoid the cytotoxicity resulting from some common crosslinking agents . <br> OBJECTIVE:To prepare the chitosan-sodium alginate composite gel and evaluate its cytotoxicity in vitro. METHODS:Chitosan was dissolved in 0.25 mol/L acetic acid to make a 30 g/L mass concentration solution, and 0.1 mol/L NaOH solution was added to neutralize its acidity. Neutralization of the chitosan solutions leads to the formation of a precipitate in ultrasmal particles. Then the chitosan and 3%sodium alginate solution in deionized water were mixed in 1:1 volume ratio by high frequency oscil ating to produce composite gel. The composite gel were detected by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry after freeze-drying. The 24-hour and 72-hour leaching solutions of composite gel, 24-hour and 72-hour leaching solutions of polyethylene and phenol solution were added to the L-929 cells’ culture medium respectively in order to evaluate the cytotoxicity of composite gel in vitro. <br> RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The results of Fourier transform infrared spectrometry showed the variation of characteristic peak values of composite gel which were different from sodium alginate and chitosan;and under scanning electron microscope, a spatial network structure formed with abundant intervals. Result of the cytotoxicity valuation was qualified for the chitosan-sodium alginate composite gel. These findings indicate that the chitosan-sodium alginate composite gel can be used as tissue engineering scaffold materials.