LAUSR

Abstract In this work, bionanocomposite membranes of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHA) embedded in chitosan (CHI) or carboxymethyl-chitosan (CMC) matrices were chemically crosslinked with epichlorohydrin (ECH) for tuning their physicochemical and biological properties aiming at bone tissue regeneration. The choice of CHI or CMC biopolymer, as well as the presence of ECH crosslinker, affected the nucleation and growth processes of nHA producing average diameters varying from 93 nm to 589 nm and altered the relative stability of the membranes against degradation. In vitro analysis by MTT using SAOS and HEK 293 T cell lineages evidenced preliminary cytocompatibility for the biocomposites investigated. Moreover, in vivo analyses using the Wistar rat model demonstrated that the crosslinking enhanced bone repair processes in up to 55% and 22% compared to the control and non-crosslinked biocomposites, respectively. Graphical Abstract Chitosan and Carboxymethyl-Chitosan Biocomposites Reinforced with Nanohydroxyapatite: Towards Artificial Bone Substitutes