Dendronization of chitosan films: Surface characterization and biological activity

An advanced modified chitosan film was designed and one-side-dendronized chitosan was obtained (ChPW). Undendronized chitosan films ChP and ChPW were characterized in terms of their chemical structure, morphology, and biological properties. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical microscopy analysis were used to corroborate the topological changes of the modified dendronized side of the ChPW film. Both macrophages (RAW) and fibroblasts (NIH) were cultured and observed on three different extracellular matrices: ChP, ChPW, and cell culture plastic (control groups). ChP and ChPW showed noncytotoxicity toward RAW and NIH cells in contact with these films. The increased arginase activity with ChPW and ChP films suggests an alternative profile of l-arginine metabolism in RAW, which favors cell proliferation and wound healing. The results indicate that the ChPW scaffold is favorable for wound dressing in skin tissue engineering.