Bioactive compounds obtained by immobilisation of serine protease inhibitors

We studied the preparation of polymeric membranes formed of solutions of poly–3–hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and chitosan. PHB–chitosan biomaterials from these solutions may form various structural types, which determine the biodegradation time, the adsorption capacity, and the kinetics of the release of medicinal compounds from polymeric matrices. Serine protease inhibitors, SERPINs, continue to catch the attention of researchers because of their increasing use in medicine and biotechnology. We prepared and studied the properties of biodegradable materials containing the serine protease inhibitors, soybean trypsin inhibitor (abbreviate STI) and watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) trypsin inhibitor (abbreviate CVTI). Properties of bioactive compounds bound to the above mentioned polymers (proteolytic activity, porous structure, and increased hydrophilicity) account for their use in two key medical applications: drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Keywords: serine protease inhibitors, SERPINs, trypsin inhibitors, immobilised serpins, poly–3–hydroxybutyrate, PHB, chitosan, biodegradable polymers, medical applications, bioactive compounds, immobilisation, biomaterials, biodegradation time, adsorption capacity, kinetics, soybeans, watermelons, proteolytic activity, porous structure, hydrophilicity, drug delivery, tissue engineering