Properties and Biocompatibility of Poly-3- Hydroxybutyrate-co-3-Hydroxyvalerate/Poly-ε- Caprolactone Blends

Abstract

Blends consisting of the poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) copolymer and poly- \nε-caprolactone (PCL) were used to prepare polymer films by casting solution technique. The structure \nand physical-mechanical, and biological properties of the films were examined as influenced by the \nratios of the blend components. The microstructure of the films was determined by the dominant \ncomponent: the films had porous surface if the percentage of PHBV was higher than that of PCL \nand were relatively smooth if the dominant component was PCL. The highest elongation at break \n(190-368 %) was exhibited by the films prepared from the blends containing 5-25 % PHBV; at 25 % \nPHBV, local maxima of tensile strength (16 MPa) and Young’s modulus (529 MPa) were observed. \nBiocompatibility of the films prepared from the blends was studied in the culture of NIH 3T3 mouse \nfibroblast cells. Results of SEM and DAPI staining, determination of the number of attached cells, and \nMTT assay showed the absence of cytotoxic effects and high cell adhesion and proliferation, which in \nsome cases were higher than on films prepared from pure PHBV and PCL. Thus, PHBV/PCL blends \nare suitable materials for constructing cell scaffolds for tissue engineering and other reconstructive \ntechnologies