Hemocompatibility study of a bacterial cellulose/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite

•Characterization of platelet activation and adhesion to BC and BC/PVA nanocomposite.•Demonstration of the hemocompatibility of both BC and BC/PVA nanocomposite.•Characterization of Factor XII activation by both BC and BC/PVA as compared to ePTFE. Bacterial cellulose (BC) has been suggested to be a suitable biomaterial for the development of cardiovascular grafts. The combination of BC with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) results in nanocomposites with improved properties. Surprisingly, there are very few studies on the BC–blood interaction. This is the focus of this paper. We present the first thorough assessment of the hemocompatibility of the BC/PVA nanocomposite. Whole blood clotting time, plasma recalcification, Factor XII activation, platelet adhesion and activation, hemolytic index and complement activation are all determined. The platelet activation profiles on BC and BC/PVA surfaces are comprehensively characterized. BC and BC/PVA outperformed ePTFE – used as a point of comparison – thus evidencing their suitability for cardiovascular applications.