Anti-inflammatory properties of superoxide dismutase modified with carboxymetil-cellulose polymer and hydrogel

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was chemically bound to carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC) polymer. Furthermore, SOD was also trapped into two hydrogels of CMC with 50% and 90% crosslinking degree. The ability of the two SOD-CMC hydrogels to capture SOD and their release kinetics were investigated. ATR FT-IR spectrometry was used to Study the conformation of SOD interacting with both CMC polymer and hydrogels. The effect of SOD-CMC polymer conjugate and SOD-CMC hydrogel systems upon human fibroblasts was Studied in vitro measuring the cell proliferation inhibition index and evaluating cell morphology. Using the xanthine oxidase-nitroblue tetrazolium assay, the specific activity of bound SOD to CMC polymer or trapped into hydrogels was evaluated. The specific activity of the enzyme was higher in SOD-CMC hydrogels than in SOD-CMC polymer conjugates.