Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics Research Group

Abstract

In the last few years, several strategies have been proposed to fabricate scaffolds for tissue engineering (TE) applications; however, they are based on harsh and time‐consuming techniques. The choice for natural polymers such as cashew gum (CG) allows to circumvent the demands of biocompatibility and degradability of TE systems. In this work, CG, a polysaccharide derived from Anacardium occidentale trees, is functionalized with aldehyde groups through periodate oxidation. The resultant oxidized cashew gum (CGO) is mixed with gelatin (GE) to yield a covalently crosslinked hydrogel. CGO/GE sponges are obtained by employing a freeze‐drying methodology to the previously obtained hydrogels. The mechanical properties, swelling ability, and porosity of the GE/CGO sponges are tuned by using CGO with different degrees of oxidation. The resultant sponges can maintain high levels of water absorption and recover their initial mechanical properties after cyclic compression. Moreover, these porous and mechanically robust devices can support the adhesion and proliferation of cells, which can envision their application for the regeneration of soft tissues.

Journal
Macromolecular Materials And Engineering
Volume
304
Issue
3
Pagination
1800574
Publisher
Wiley
ISSN
1439-2054
URL
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mame.201800574
Keywords
Cashew gum, Gelatin, Natural materials
Rights
Restricted Access
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Status
published
Year of Publication
2019
DOI
10.1002/mame.201800574
Date Published
2019-01-09
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