Development of N,O‐Carboxymethyl Chitosan‐Starch Biomaterial Inks for 3D Printed Wound Dressing Applications

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience 2021-12, Vol.21 (12), p.e2100368-n/a
• Main Authors: Naseri, Emad, Cartmell, Christopher, Saab, Matthew, Kerr, Russell G., Ahmadi, Ali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D printing; Anti-Infective Agents - chemistry; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacokinetics; bacterial test; Bandages; Biodegradability; Biodegradation; Biomaterials; Biomedical materials; Chitosan; Chitosan - chemistry; Controlled release; Degradation; Drug delivery; drug eluting scaffolds; Drug Liberation; In vitro methods and tests; Inks; Medical dressings; Mupirocin; Polymers; Printing, Three-Dimensional; Rheological properties; Rheology; Scaffolds; Starch; Starch - chemistry; Three dimensional printing; wound dressing; Wound healing; Wounds
• ISSN: 1616-5187; 1616-5195
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202100368

In this paper, a novel hybrid biomaterial ink consisting of two water‐soluble polymers is investigated: starch and N,O‐carboxymethyl chitosan (NOCC). The biomaterial ink is used to fabricate controlled release biodegradable wound dressing scaffolds via a novel low‐temperature solvent (organic)‐free 3D printing technique. NOCC is a variant of chitosan with a high degradation rate that can lead to an immediate release of the drugs, and starch, on the other hand, is used to alter degradation and drug release characteristics of the biomaterial. Mupirocin, a topical anti‐infective, is incorporated into the biomaterial inks. Different biomaterial inks in terms of NOCC to starch ratio are prepared and characterized. Printability and rheology of the samples are investigated, and the release of mupirocin over time is quantified. The efficacy of the developed 3D printed wound dressings against Staphylococcus aureus is examined through disk diffusion assays. Increasing NOCC accelerated the release of the drug from the scaffold and led to larger zones of inhibition in the early hours of the in vitro tests; this phenomenon is correlated to the enhanced hydrophilicity of NOCC‐dominated scaffolds. The drug release and the zone of inhibition are controlled by altering starch to NOCC ratio in the biomaterial ink. In this paper, a novel hybrid biomaterial ink of starch and N,O‐carboxymethyl chitosan (NOCC) is developed to fabricate controlled‐release wound dressings, via a low‐temperature solvent (organic)‐free 3D printing technique. The drug (mupirocin) release is controlled by altering starch to NOCC ratio in the biomaterial ink, and the efficacy of the wound dressings against Staphylococcus aureus is confirmed through disk diffusion assays.