FEASIBILITY OF BOVINE SUBMAXILLARY MUCIN (BSM) FILMS AS BIOMIMETIC COATING FOR POLYMERIC BIOMATERIALS

Feasibility of bovine submaxillary mucin (BSM) films generated via spontaneous adsorption from aqueous solutions onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polystyrene (PS) surfaces have been investigated as biomimetic coatings for polymeric biomaterials. Two attributes as biomedical coatings, namely anti-fouling properties and lubricity, have been focused on in this study. Optical waveguide light-mode spectroscopy (OWLS) and fluorescence microscopy studies have shown that albumin, fibrinogen, immunoglobulin G, and serum rapidly adsorb onto BSM layers formed on PDMS and PS surfaces. Pin-on-disk tribometry, employing compliant PDMS as tribopairs, has shown that BSM coatings generated on PDMS surface via spontaneous adsorption from aqueous solution has effective lubricating properties, but for very limited duration only.