Cancer cell adhesion property on all-chitin composite films with reduced crystallinity

We previously prepared self-reinforced chitin composite (SR-ChC) films, also called all-chitin composites, comprising two components, that is, scale-down chitin nanofibers (SD-ChNFs) with high crystallinity and scale-down low-crystalline chitin (SD-LC-Ch) matrixes. In this study, we precisely evaluated hydrophilicity under water enviromental conditions and its effect on cell adhesion using human-derived cancer cells on the SR-ChC film surfaces. The surface analysis of the SR-ChC films with reduced crystallinity revealed reorientation of the molecular chain assemblies with amino groups in the SD-LC-Ch components in water. Consequently, the amount of the SD-LC-Ch components gave rise to increasing the number of hydrophilic amino groups on the film surfaces, which resulted in efficiency of cell adhesion and elongation. This study concludes that the hydrophilic SD-LC-Ch components in the lower crystalline SR-ChC films strongly contribute to exhibiting new functions, related to interaction with biological substrates, such as cells. © 2017 ElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.