Chitosan/oxidized pectin/PVA blend film: mechanical and biological properties

This paper describes the preparation and characterization of flexible crosslinked chitosan (CH)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films. These chitosan-based films are prepared using oxidized pectin as crosslinking agent, and PVA as plasticizer. The chemical structure of the obtained blend films were investigated using FTIR spectroscopy. Swelling behavior of hydrogels obtained was studied in various pH media. The blending of PVA with chitosan or chitosan/oxidized pectin (OP) was found to highly enhance the swelling of the prepared films compared to those obtained from pure chitosan. On the other hand, the use of lactic acid as solvent and the incorporation of PVA improve the flexibility of chitosan matrices. Examination of the hemolytic potential showed that the hydrogels were non hemolytic in nature. The hydrogels were non-toxic and blood-compatible. Reducing power was used to determine in vitro antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory activity of chitosan films was investigated by protein denaturation method. The biological activity of CH/OP/PVA towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli has been examined in this study.