New Hydrogel obtained by Chitosan and Dextrin-VA Co-polymerization

Introduction Hydrogels are a class of three-dimensional, highly hydrated polymeric networks (1). They are suitable for biomedical applications because of their high tissue compatibility mainly caused by the high water content of the gels (2). Chitosan (CS) (poly[β-(1-4)-2-amino-2-deoxy-Dglucopyranose]) is a non-toxic and biocompatible copolymer of N-glucosamine and N-acetyl-glucosamine produced by partial deacetylation of chitin. Chitosan is susceptible to structural modifications due to the high number of hydroxyl and amine reactive groups. Dextrin is a glucose-containing polysaccharide linked by α-(1→4) D-glucose units, with the same general formula as starch, although it is smaller and less complex. This polysaccharide is produced by partial hydrolysis of starch, which can be accomplished by the use of acids and/or enzymes. In the present work, we describe the development of a novel hydrogel obtained by polymerization of chitosan with dextrin-VA.