Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Amine Functionalization Of Bacterial Cellulose For Targeted Delivery Applications, Justin Cook

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Bacterial cellulose (BC), produced by acetic acid bacteria Gluconacetobacter xylinus, is ideal for delivery and related biomedical functions. It is FDA approved for wound dressings and internal applications, non-toxic to endothelial cells and has little effect on blood profiles. Conjugation of therapeutics to BC can be accomplished through the available alcohol groups of the anhydroglucose units (AGU), making targeted delivery possible. Amine was introduced to BC through a reaction involving epichlorohydrin and ammonium hydroxide. The chemical structure was analyzed using infrared spectroscopy and quantified through pH titration. Conjugation of amine to BC was demonstrated through fluorescein-5’-isothiocyanate (FITC) and bromocresol …