Preparation of Microfibrillated Cellulose Composites for Sustained Release of H₂O₂ or O₂ for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

A cost-effective and energy-saving approach to prepare microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) nanocomposites from natural wood fibers is reported. The MFC was mixed with calcium peroxide (CPO) with or without catalase to form multilayered MFC nanocomposites that allow modulation of the releases of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) or oxygen (O 2 ), respectively. The release profile of H 2 O 2 from the MFC nanocomposites up to five days was obtained, and the effects of H 2 O 2 and O 2 on the responses of mammalian cells were evaluated. The results showed that MFC itself possesses great biocompatibility, and the MFC/CPO nanocomposites are able to suppress cell proliferation. The further addition of catalase into the MFC/CPO composites converts H 2 O 2 to O 2 so effectively that enhanced L-929 fibroblasts cell density was clearly found. The as-prepared MFC/CPO and [MFC+catalase]/CPO nanocomposites were shown to be applicable on alternative substrates and revealed similar functions. Moreover, the cell cultured on the [MFC+catalase]/CPO composites under a serum-free condition revealed that the generation of oxygen plays a role in supporting cell proliferation. This study is among the first work to report the modulation of the release of H 2 O 2 and O 2 by using microfibril cellulose-based materials for applications in wound sterilization and to accelerate wound healing.