BACTERIAL CELLULOSE MEMBRANES WITH PLASMA‐MODIFIED SURFACES FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a promising biomaterial notable for its features such as strength, hydrophilicity, and biocompatibility, which enable it to be used as implants and scaffolds in tissue engineering. However, its topography does not present the ideal characteristics for cell attachment and development, so surface modifications are required in order to improve the cellular response. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of oxygen plasma treatment applied to bacterial cellulose (BC) for 2.5 and 5 minutes, together with its effects on cell behavior during 21 days of culture. Osteo‐1 cells were cultured in the absence and presence of BC, at an initial density (day 0) of 1000 cells per 200 μL of osteogenic medium (DMEM + FBS + ascorbic acid + dexamethasone + β‐glycerophosphate), in 48‐well culture plates, for 7, 14, and 21 days, with exchange of the medium every 72 h. Cell counting was performed with a Bio‐Rad TC20™ cell counter, viability was analyzed using the MTT test, and mineralization was quantified by the Alizarin Red test. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) in the culture medium was measured using a commercial LabTest kit. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using ANOVA and Fisher’s test for multiple comparisons. Alkaline phosphatase results: Higher AP was observed for the group with application of the plasma to the BC for 5 minutes, while no statistically significant differences were found among the groups without treatment, treatment for 2.5 minutes, or in the absence of BC, as well as between the days of culture. Culture time effects: Higher cell counts were obtained for the control group without BC and the group with untreated BC. The highest cell counts were observed at 14 and 21 days of culture, with no statistically significant differences among the means. Mineralization and cell viability: The highest responses for mineralization and viability were observed at 7 days of culture, followed by decreases at 14 and 21 days. The results were indicative of changes on the bacterial cellulose surface caused by the oxygen plasma treatment, which influenced the cell features. The findings indicated that plasma treatment for up to 5 minutes changed the topography of the surface, leading to better conditions for cell differentiation and development from Osteo‐1 to osteoblast, as indicated by the higher AP concentration for this group. The treatment for 5 minutes led to enhanced cellular responses on the bacterial cellulose, contributing to better cell development.Support or Funding InformationFundingFAPESP (grant #2018/14840‐4).