Synthesis of Hydrogel Scaffold Based on Chitosan and Nanocellulose by Salt Leaching Method for Biomedical Application of Cornea

• Main Author: ZULFAN FAHREZA (nim : 13313006) - FAUZAN MUZAKI (nim :13313020), MUHAMMAD
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/23355
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The damage of corneal endothelium can cause the loss of vision, which <br /> <br /> <br /> accounts for the second most common cause of blindness worldwide after cataract. <br /> <br /> <br /> The treatment of damaged cornea is limited by the shortage of donor cornea for <br /> <br /> <br /> keratoplasty. The scaffold usage for corneal tissue engineering becomes one of the <br /> <br /> <br /> solution solving this problem. In this final project research, scaffold in the form of <br /> <br /> <br /> hydrogel is synthesized using chitosan and nanocellulose. The stage of research <br /> <br /> <br /> conducted include extraction of cellulose from sugarcane bagasse, isolation of <br /> <br /> <br /> nanocellulose by acid hydrolysis, and synthesis of hydrogel scaffold chitosan and <br /> <br /> <br /> chitosan-nanocellulose by salt leaching method using sodium chloride as its <br /> <br /> <br /> porogen. <br /> <br /> <br /> Nanocellulose fibers were isolated from sugarcane bagasse successfully <br /> <br /> <br /> with a diameter range of 11 nm – 68 nm. The addition of nanocellulose fibers to <br /> <br /> <br /> chitosan does not affect the morphology of hydrogel. All of the hydrogel samples <br /> <br /> <br /> have no pore morphology. The highest visible light transmittance is demonstrated <br /> <br /> <br /> by CH hydrogel sample in the amount of 33 – 65 %. The transmittance of the <br /> <br /> <br /> hydrogel sample decreases with the addition of nanocellulose to a concentration of <br /> <br /> <br /> 2.5%, then increases in CH-CN 3.5 % hydrogel sample. The hydrogel tensile <br /> <br /> <br /> strength and maximum elongation decrease in CH-CN 1.5 % hydrogel sample, then <br /> <br /> <br /> increase with the addition of nanocellulose. The hydrogel degree of swelling and <br /> <br /> <br /> water content increase with the addition of nanocellulose. The highest degree of <br /> <br /> <br /> swelling and water content are demonstrated by CH-CN 3.5 % sample in the amount <br /> <br /> <br /> of 230 % and 70 % respectively. Transmittance, tensile strength, maximum <br /> <br /> <br /> elongation, and water content of all of the hydrogel samples have not yet achieved <br /> <br /> <br /> the optimum value required for the corneal scaffold, so further modification is <br /> <br /> <br /> necessary in subsequent studies.