Parameters Influencing Degradation of the Gelatin/Chitosan Scaffolds

The scaffold apparently serves as an active analog of the natural extracellular matrix, allowing cells to attach, proliferate and synthesize their own matrix molecules. Duringthe process of tissue synthesis, the matrix molecules formed by the cells assemble to form new extracellular matrix while the scaffold degrades. Ideally, the rate of scaffold degradation should mirror the rate of new tissue formation [1]. Lysozyme is a chain of 129 amino acids which hydrolyses(l→4) glycosidic linkages of chitin [2]. Human lysozyme is found in various body fluids and tissues, in concentrations from 4 to 13 mg/l in serum and from 450 to 1230 mg/l in tears [3]. In this work, we used solutions of the lysozyme enzyme to investigate degradation behavior of the gelatin-chitosan scaffolds