Abstract
Interfacial cross-linking (ICL) has been considered a feasible technique
to produce polysaccharide-based microparticles (PbMs), even though only
a few studies have been concerned with their biocompatibility. In this
work, PbMs were prepared by the ICL method and characterized in regard
to their in vitro biocompatibility, chemical linkages, and physical and
thermal properties. First, the cell viability assay revealed that PbMs
toxicity was concentration-dependent. Then, it was observed that the
toxicity may be related to the way in which the binding occurred, and
not exclusively to the stoichiometry between the polymer and the
cross-linking agent. Moreover, the PbMs biosafety was predicted by the
use of physicochemical procedures, which were able to identify unbound
cross-linking agent residues and also to reveal the improvement of their
thermal stability. Accordingly, this work suggests a step-by-step
physicochemical procedure able to predict potential toxicity from
micro-structured devices produced by polysaccharides. Likewise, the use
of PbMs as a drug carrier should be cautiously considered.
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