Evaluating the Biological Properties of Chitosan and Gelatin-Based Scaffold in Saliva and Blood: An In Vitro Study.

Aim Guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membranes have been used to encourage the regrowth of periodontal tissues, but traditional GTR membranes may not degrade at the right rate, which can lead to complications. Multifunctional scaffolds such as chitosan and gelatin-based scaffolds are designed to have controlled biodegradation, ensuring that they remain in place long enough to support tissue regeneration. These scaffolds are included with hemostatic properties that can help control bleeding, making the procedure safer for patients. Hence, the aim of the study was to evaluate the biological properties such as biodegradability, adsorption, and surface characteristics of chitosan and gelatin-based scaffolds immersed in different body fluids using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Materials and methods The biodegradability of the chitosan and gelatin-based scaffold was seen along with the commercially available PerioCol®-GTR (Eucare Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, Thirumudivakkam, Tamil Nadu, India), fish collagen. The scaffold was cut into equal sizes and immersed in different body fluids. Then the samples were incubated at 37 degrees for 48 hours and subjected to SEM analysis to assess the surface characteristics and the adsorption of the body fluids onto the surface of the scaffold.  Results The biodegradability was less than a 7% decrease in weight in the test group (chitosan and gelatin-based scaffold) and a 13% decrease in weight in the control group (PerioCol). The SEM analysis showed that the scaffold had smooth surface morphology and porous nature along with greater adsorption potential (175.8±0.05, 52.02±0.01, and 425.4±0.3 micrometers) in various body fluids.  Conclusion Chitosan and gelatin-based scaffolds have slower biodegradability when compared with the PerioCol. The scaffold shows good surface morphology and higher adsorption when immersed in various body fluids.