Polysaccharide-based polyanion-polycation-polyanion ternary systems in the concentrated regime and hydrogel form

In the field of bioactive biomaterials, multi-biopolymer systems are of particular interest as they represent potential extra cellular matrix (ECM) mimics. Ternary mixtures composed of alginate, hyaluronan, and a lactose-modified chitosan undergo a rheological investigation that reveal the presence of polyanion-polycation supramolecular structures, which dissolve once the third (polyanion) component is added. Two selected ternary mixtures are used for the preparation of calcium-alginate hydrogels and their mechanical performance and stability are found to be strongly influenced by the relative composition in terms of the two non-gelling components. The presence in the mixture of bioactive polysaccharides leads to a notable improvement in the proliferation of primary culture of chondrocytes. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.