Influence of Chemical Cross-Linking on Properties of Gelatin/Chitosan Microspheres

Gelatin/chitosan (Gel/Cs) microspheres were prepared by water/oil (W/O) elusion with the use of chemical cross-linking agent of glutaraldehyde. The effects of cross-linking, including cross-linker concentration and cross-linking time, on the diameter, swelling ratio and cytotoxicity in-vitro of the microspheres were investigated. The results showed that the diameter of Gel/Cs microspheres decreased with increasing cross-linker content and cross-linking time period. Further, the swelling ratio of microspheres also decreased as increasing cross-linker content and cross-linking time. This indicated that the diameter and swelling ratio of the Gel/Cs microspheres can be achieved by controlling the amount of the cross-linking agent and the cross-linking time. The microsphere extracts with lower contents of glutaraldehyde (0.5 wt% and 1 wt%) were no toxic; however, the extract with 2.5 wt% of glutaraldehyde showed potential cytotoxicity.