| Title | Biosynthesis of highly pure poly-γ-glutamic acid for biomedical applications |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| 2012 |
| Authors | Pereira, CL, Antunes, JC, Gonçalves, RM, Ferreira-da-Silva, F, Barbosa, MA |
| Journal | Journal of Materials Science: Materials in MedicineJ. Mater. Sci. Mater. Med. |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pagination | 1583 - 1591 |
| Date Published | 2012/// |
| 09574530 (ISSN) |
| Amino acids, animal cell, article, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus subtilis natto, Bioactivity, Biocompatibility, Biocompatible Materials, biodegradability, Biodegradable polymers, Biodegradation, Biologically active substances, biomaterial, Biomedical applications, biomedicine, biosynthesis, chitosan, circular dichroism, complex formation, controlled study, dispersion, Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel, feasibility study, Functional polymers, gamma polyglutamic acid, Glutamic acid, High purity, Low molecular weight, Medical applications, molecular interaction, molecular weight, Nanocomplexes, nanoparticle, nonhuman, pH, Physiological pH, polyglutamic acid, Potential applications, priority journal, purification, Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared, static electricity, Stereoisomerism, unclassified drug |
| The remarkable properties of poly-aminoacids, mainly their biocompatibility and biodegradability, have prompted an increasing interest in these polymers for biomedical applications. Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is one of the most interesting poly-aminoacids with potential applications as a biomaterial. Here we describe the production and characterization of γ-PGA by Bacillus subtilis natto. The γ-PGA was produced with low molecular weight (10-50 kDa), high purity grade (>99 %) and a D-/L-glutamate ratio of 50-60/50-40 %. To evaluate the feasibility of using this γ-PGA as a biomaterial, chitosan (Ch)/γ-PGA nanoparticles were prepared by the coacervation method at pH ranging from 3.0 to 5.0, with dimensions in the interval 214-221 nm with a poly-dispersion index of ca. 0.2. The high purity of γ-PGA produced by this method, which is firstly described here, renders this biopolymer suitable for biomedical applications. Moreover, the Ch/γ-PGA nanocomplexes developed in this investigation can be combined with biologically active substances for their delivery in the organism. The fact that the assembly between Ch and γ-PGA relies on electrostatic interactions enables addition of other molecules that can be released into the medium through changes from acidic to physiological pH, without loss in biological activity. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012. |
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