Fabrication of Hyaluronic Acid Nanofibres
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| Year of publication | 2016 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | The field of nanotechnology has undergone unprecedented development in the recent decades. Nanofibres and nanofibrous structures are still in the focus of attention. Due to a huge surface-area-to-volume ratio, nanofibres have a potential to significantly improve existing technologies and are continuously finding use in new areas. One of the most important fields of use for nanofibrous materials comprises biomedical applications. A greater degree of biocompatibility in biomedical applications is ensured by using natural biopolymers instead of synthetic polymers. But a natural biopolymer is usually more difficult to convert into nanofibres by electrostatic spinning than a synthetic polymer. One of the natural polymers most commonly used in biomedical applications is hyaluronic acid. Its unique rheological properties and biocompatibility make HA suitable for biomedical applications in numerous areas including ophthalmology, dermatology, surgery, drug distribution, medical implants and wound healing. This work aims to describe the unique process of fabrication of nanofibrous materials from HA. The use of the low-molecular weight HA ensures better penetration of HA and allows us the production of nanofibrous layers with high concentration of HA. To avoid organic solvents, that are improper for biomedical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, we used only water as a solvent and a combination of HA with synthetic polymers, in our case PEO and PVA. PEO as well as PVA are commonly used in the intended fields; they are non-toxic, biocompatible and greatly enhance electrospinning of HA. We were able to prepare materials with various content of HA and thus it is possible to tailor their properties for specific application and control production and its cost. Hyaluronic acid alone is unspinnable from water solution. It could be spin only from organic solvent solutions that are improper for biomedical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. Using low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid and small amount of synthetic polymers we prepared nanofibrous layers from water solutions that contain up to 90 wt.% of HA and could be used in direct contact with tissue. |