Pectin/poly(lactide-co-glycolide) composite matrices for biomedical applications.

The aim of the research was to develop matrices for the delivery of biologically active substances for tissue regeneration. To this end, a new biodegradable matrix composed of a hydrophobic porous poly(lactide-co-glycolide), p(LGA), network entangled with another network of hydrophilic pectin was fabricated in the presence of calcium chloride. The calcium salts function as both a pore forming reagent and cross-linker for the formation of pectin networks; the method combines creating pores and cross-linking polymers in one step.