Caracterização físico-química e avaliação da citocompatibidade do nanobiocompósito de quitosana e nanofibra de celulose em fibroblastos e queratinócitos humanos cultivados in vitro

Abstract

The skin has a natural self-repair mechanism in the event of injuries, however, in some cases, the healing process may be compromised, requiring care to help repair the organ. Reparative therapies have been the subject of studies for the treatment of injuries and the biopolymers chitosan and cellulose nanofiber (NFC) stand out for presenting biodegradable, antimicrobial properties and mechanical characteristics similar to those of the natural extracellular matrix. However, to date, there are no reports on the combined use of chitosan and NFC extracted from cotton in the production of a nanobiocomposite for application in skin reparative medicine. Thus, the objective of this study was to perform the physicochemical characterization and evaluate the cytocompatibility of the chitosan and cotton NFC nanobiocomposite in human fibroblasts and keratinocytes in vitro. At first, evaluations of homogeneity, stability, roughness, porosity and mechanical properties of the nanobiocomposites were carried out. Subsequently, in vitro light microscopy, flow cytometry, MTT, Alamar Blue, healing and collagen production tests were carried out. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of NFC into the chitosan film, forming a nanobiocomposite, resulted in a film with better characteristics such as degradation rate, swelling, hydrophilicity and roughness, optimizing its application in in vitro tests. Cell viability, healing and collagen production by human fibroblasts and keratinocytes indicate the cytocompatibility of the nanobiocomposite in in vitro culture. Based on the results, the chitosan nanobiocomposite with NFC has potential for future application in reparative therapies for the treatment of skin injuries, as well as a test model for dermocosmetics.