Chitosan functionalized halloysite nanotube/poly (caprolactone) nanocomposites for wound healing application

Abstract

The present study depicts the surface functionalization of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) with chitosan and intruded in the poly(caprolactone) (PCL) matrix to synthesize nanocomposites for the biomedical field. The solution casting method was used to fabricate the nanocomposite films, and investigated by various characterization techniques. The films exhibited enhanced thermal and mechanical properties. FE-SEM and AFM analyses confirmed the uniform dispersion of the nanofiller and increased roughness of the films. The nanocomposite films were also examined for swelling ratio, in-vitro enzymatic degradation, and anti-inflammatory activity. The MTT assay performed using NIH3T3 cell lines for the nanocomposite films has revealed significant cell proliferation (127±1.21 for 5wt%). Additionally, the cell adhesion assay also reflected the cytocompatibility nature of the films. The scratch assay was performed to see the capability of the films for wound closure observed that the 5wt% film showed a greater rate of fibroblast cell migration (31.49±0.89) compared to pristine PCL film. The hemocompatibility of these films were determined through HRBCMS assay. The biological activity results revealed that the nanocomposites exhibited delayed enzymatic degradability and hemocompatibility, besides improved cell proliferation, cell adhesion, and cell migration efficacy with respect to NIH3T3 cells. Therefore, the fabricated nanocomposite films can be potentially used in wound healing applications after appropriate clinical validations to test their efficacy.