Preparation and properties of water-soluble chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol blend films as potential bone tissue engineering matrix

The blend film was prepared by casting solutions of water-soluble hydroxyethyacryl-chitosan (HEA-CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cross-linked by glutaraldehyde. The structure and properties of the blend films were estimated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD), contact angle measurements with water, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The tensile properties of the blend films were investigated and the tensile strength ITS) and the elongation increased with the increased amount of PVA. The thermal stability (thermogravimetric (TG) and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG)) was evaluated and HEA-CS was more thermally-stable than that of PVA. The water swelling properties analysis indicated that HEA-CS in the blends promoted the water absorption owing to its porous structure and the antimicrobial ability of the blend films was retained. Indirect cytotoxicity assessment of the blend films with human bone sarcoma cell (SW1353) indicated that the biomaterials were non-toxic and did not release substances harmful to living cells. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.