MOSCOW, 25 Jul – . Dressings based on chitosan, obtained from the shells of crustaceans and insects, were created by scientists from VolgGTU. According to them, the development has a programmable service life and will ensure the healing of burns and wounds without scarring. The results are published in the Polymer Bulletin.
The researchers noted that in medicine, dressings are used to treat external wounds, which require regular monitoring and periodic replacements. This causes inconvenience in inpatient and outpatient settings, and can also lead to the formation of scars and scars after regeneration.
Scientists from the Volgograd State Technical University (Volgograd State Technical University) presented samples of a new dressing material based on chitosan films. They said that thanks to the development, it will be possible to produce biopolymer materials with a programmable lifetime in the human body and ensure the healing of burns and wounds without scarring.
Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide that is obtained from chitin found in the shells of arthropods (crustaceans, insects, arachnids, horseshoe crabs, centipedes), fungal cell walls, blue-green algae and some bacteria. It is an environmentally friendly, renewable, biocompatible and biodegradable polymer.
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“This polymer is used by us as a carrier for the attachment and growth of the body's own tissue cells. It does not need to be constantly changed, re-injuring damaged tissues, as happens when using standard patches and dressings,» said Ekaterina Bryuzgina, associate professor at the Department of Technology of High-Molecular and Fibrous Materials of Volgograd State Technical University.
She added that upon graduation during the therapeutic effect of the coating, it does not require surgical intervention to remove it.
Experts noted that the structural features of chitosan make its films hydrophilic, that is, they swell in water. Because of this, chitosan-based materials lose their shape in a humid environment, including in the human body.
«Enzymes are found in such an environment and active reproduction of microorganisms occurs, which ultimately leads to to accelerated biodegradation. At the same time, making the material highly hydrophobic can lead to the impossibility of absorbing fluids released from wounds and complete rejection by the body,» Bryuzgina said.
Therefore, the developers used modifying agents that preserve a wide range of biological activity of chitosan and at the same time regulate the degree of moisture absorption. The created films were treated with alcoholic and aqueous solutions of aldehydes at room temperature.
«Modified chitosan films are not toxic to human skin cells, which opens up the possibility of their use for the treatment of external wounds. In addition, the decomposition rate of the obtained materials is 65 % lower than for unmodified chitosan films,» Bryuzgina said.
The scientists noted that all the results obtained on the created films can be applied to other types of chitosan-based materials — powders, fibers, sponges, and others.
The project was supported by RSF grant No. 19-73-10147.