Chemical and in vitro characterization of epoxidized natural rubber blends for biomedical applications

Abstract

Cellprene® biomaterial is reported as an angiogenic resorbable elastomeric blend, but it has poor miscibility between polymers. Poly(isoprene) present in Cellprene® is the main component of Natural Rubber Latex, which is extracted from Hevea brasilienses trees. The epoxidation reaction of Natural Rubber not only reduces the number of double bonds but also increases the hydrophilicity of rubber. The mixing of epoxidized Poly(isoprene) with Poly (Lactic-co-Glycolic acid) is an alternative route for the preparation of miscible and biocompatible blends that can be used in Tissue Engineering. The blends developed in this work were obtained by the solvent casting method. The physico-chemical and mechanical properties of the membranes were evaluated and compared with Cellprene® showing a higher miscibility of the blend that were previously epoxidized demonstrated by the approach of the involved Tg value. Biological essays showed non-cytotoxic results with a cell viability greater than 95%. The in vitro interaction of HMV-II cells with the epoxidized blend showed specific epithelial and morphological markers after 24 h of culture. The results indicate the high viability of the epoxidized mixture for application in Tissue Engineering.