BLENDS OF HYALURONIC-ACID DERIVATIVES WITH ETHYLENE-VINYL ALCOHOL COPOLYMERS AS POTENTIAL BIOMATERIALS

Films were prepared by solution casting from blends of hyaluronic acid derivatives and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers. A chemico-physical and biological characterization was carried out on these ''bioartificial materials'' made of synthetic and biological polymers. The morphological and chemical properties of the films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The transport properties of these films were tested in liquid systems to evaluate their possible use in dialysis and/or haemodialysis. The biocompatibility was investigated by a haemocompatibility test based on the contact activation of plasma prekallikrein. No particular interaction between the two components was observed. The results of the permeation tests were compared with those obtained using commercial products such as Cuprophane and poly(acrylonitrile) membranes. These tests indicate that the permeability of the blends decreases as the content of the synthetic polymer increases. The good haemocompatibility of these materials suggests their possible use as biomaterials.