Current developments in the field of biomaterial synthesis focus on the creation of biocompatible products capable of treating or replacing diseased body tissues to restore function.  These products are often natural fibers, many of which are capable of mimicking body tissues as well as facilitating tissue regeneration.  In this project, parameters were explored for the creation of both alginate and oxidized alginate fibers through electrospinning in the presence of co-solvents and co-polymers.  Oxidized alginate was selected for this project based on the reported accelerated degradation of oxidized natural polymer materials.  Purchased alginate and synthesized oxidized alginate were characterized via gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and the percent oxidation of the oxidized alginate was analyzed via ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis).  The degradation rates of both polymers under physiological conditions have also been observed.  Utilizing the established electrospinning parameters for alginate and oxidized alginate, a small drug molecule has been incorporated into the electrospinning solutions to engineer drug-loaded fibers.  Drug release profiles for both alginate- and oxidized alginate-based fibers will be compiled from release studies performed under physiological conditions.  It is anticipated that natural polymer-based, electrospun fiber mats from polymers like alginate and oxidized alginate will have biomedical applications related to drug release, tissue scaffolding, and wound healing.<br/>

Investigating oxidized alginate-based fibers for biomedical applications

255th National Meeting (2018)

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