COLLAGEN AND ITS INTERACTIONS WITH CHITOSAN .3. SOME BIOLOGICAL AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES

Bovine atelocollagen and high molecular weight fully deacetylated chit osan, depending an the conditions, can form complexes whether by means of purely electrostatic interactions or by hydrogen bonding. In the f irst case the maximum proportion of chitosan in the complex is relativ ely low (approximate to 10%) and then it is difficult to conclude whet her chitosan prevents collagen digestion by collagenase or not. On the contrary, in the case of the second kind of complex, chitosan induces a strong protection toward the specific enzyme. If we consider the me chanical properties of polyanion/polycation complexes, chitosan brings softening rather than hardening to the system and the complex behaves like some polymer blends.