Preparation and characterization of chitin beads as a wound dressing precursor.

Abstract

Chitin was dissolved in N, N-dimethylacetamide/5% lithium chloride (DMAc/5%LiCl) to form a 0.5% chitin solution. Chitin beads were formed by dropping the 0.5% chitin solution into a nonsolvent coagulant, ethanol. The beads were left in ethanol for 24 h to permit hardening, consolidation, and removal of residual DMAc/5%LiCl solvent in order to give spherical chitin beads uniform size distribution. The ethanol-gelled chitin beads had an average diameter of 535 microm. The chitin beads were subsequently activated in 50% (w/v) NaOH solution and reacted with 1.9 M monochloroacetic acid/2-propanol solution to introduce a carboxymethylated surface layer to the chitin beads. The bilayer character of the surface-carboxymethylated chitin (SCM-chitin) beads was verified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and confocal microscopy. The bilayered SCM-chitin beads were found to absorb up to 95 times their dry weight of water. These SCM-chitin beads have potential as a component of wound dressings.

• Authors: N L Yusof, L Y Lim, E Khor
• Journal: Journal of biomedical materials research (J Biomed Mater Res) Vol. 54 Issue 1 Pg. 59-68 (Jan 2001) ISSN: 0021-9304 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11077403 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Chemical References

• Biocompatible Materials
• Buffers
• Membranes, Artificial
• Water
• Chitin
• Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium

Topics

• Algorithms
• Animals
• Bandages
• Biocompatible Materials
• Buffers
• Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Cells, Cultured
• Chitin (chemistry, toxicity)
• Fibroblasts
• Humans
• Membranes, Artificial
• Mice
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
• Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
• Water (chemistry)