Freeze-Dried Platelet Concentrate Loaded Thermo-Sensitive Chitosan Hydrogel Scaffolds for Periodontal Tissue Regeneration: Preparation and Characterization (In Vitro Study)

Abstract

This study was performed to prepare chitosan –based thermo-sensitive hydrogel and load it with freeze-dried platelet concentrate (FDPC) in different concentrations to be used in periodontal regeneration. The chitosan powder to be used for the preparation of the hydrogel was investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for determining its degree of deacetylation (DD). The chitosan-based hydrogel was then prepared through the addition of the compound beta-glycerol phosphate (β-GP). The viscosity of the chitosan/β-GP solution was measured from 25°C to 37.5°C to investigate its rheological behavior as function of temperature rise. The biodegradation rate was also assessed through the immersion of the prepared hydrogel in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) containing Lysozyme enzyme for 32 days. The assessment was done through measuring the difference between the initial and final dry weight at 11 time intervals: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 hours and 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 days. Platelet concentrate was prepared from a purchased blood bank platelet units and freeze-dried to be in a powder form.