Abstract
In this work, a coating of chitosan onto alginate hydrogels was realized using the water-soluble hydrochloride form of chitosan (CH-Cl), with the dual purpose of imparting antibacterial activity and delaying the release of hydrophilic molecules from the alginate matrix. Alginate hydrogels with different calcium contents were prepared by the internal setting method and coated by immersion in a CH-Cl solution. Structural analysis by cryo-scanning electron microscopy was carried out to highlight morphological alterations due to the coating layer. Tests in vitro with human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) were assessed to check the absence of toxicity of CH-Cl. Swelling, stability in physiological solution and release characteristics using rhodamine B as the hydrophilic model drug were compared to those of relative uncoated hydrogels. Finally, antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli was tested. Results show that alginate hydrogels coated with chitosan hydrochloride described here can be proposed as a novel medicated dressing by associating intrinsic antimicrobial activity with improved sustained release characteristics.
Highlights
The local treatment of wounds is crucial to prevent infections, to control the removal of exudates and to create a moist environment to allow for skin healing [1]
Alginate hydrogels with different calcium contents were prepared by the internal setting method and coated by immersion in a chitosan hydrochloride (CH-Cl) solution
It is known from the literature that the methodology employed here results in highly pure samples, which preserve an identical degree of deacetylation [34]
Summary
The local treatment of wounds is crucial to prevent infections, to control the removal of exudates and to create a moist environment to allow for skin healing [1]. Research is nowadays increasingly oriented towards “bioactive dressings”. These dressings are made of materials that can play an active role in wound protection and healing. The first strategy consists of the application of skin substitutes, following a cell therapy approach [2]. A second strategy is the realization of “medicated dressings”, able to release biomolecules in a sustained manner and to perform functions other than passive protection [3]. Due to their characteristics, hydrogels find application in wound dressing, especially in cases where a conventional dressing can be difficult to apply, as deep and irregular lesions. Hydrogels based on natural polysaccharides are highly hydrophilic and sometimes sensitive to enzymatic degradation [4,5,6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
