Aldehyde-functionalized cellulose as reactive sorbents for the capture and retention of polyamine odor molecules associated with chronic wounds

Abstract

Aldehyde-functionalized cellulose (AFC) was prepared by oxidizing cellulose with sodium metaperiodate. The reaction was characterized by Schiff's test, FT-IR, and UV–vis study. AFC was evaluated as a reactive sorbent for controlling polyamine-based odor from chronic wounds, and its performance was compared with charcoal, one of the most widely utilized odor-control sorbents through physisorption. Cadaverine was used as the model odor molecule. A liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method was established to quantify the compound. AFC was found to rapidly react with cadaverine through the Schiff-base reaction, which was confirmed by FT-IR, visual observation, CHN elemental analysis, and the ninhydrin test. The sorption and desorption behaviors of cadaverine onto AFC were quantified. With clinic-relevant cadaverine concentrations, AFC demonstrated much better sorption performance than charcoal. At even higher cadaverine concentrations charcoal showed higher sorption capacity, probably due to its high surface area. On the other hand, in desorption studies, AFC retained much more of the sorbed cadaverine than charcoal. When AFC and charcoal were combined, the pair demonstrated excellent sorption and desorption behaviors. The XTT (2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide) assay confirmed that AFC has very good in vitro biocompatibility. These results suggest that AFC-based reactive sorption can be a new strategy to control odors associated with chronic wounds for improved healthcare.