Abstract
Chitin and its derivative chitosan are popular constituents in wound-treatment technologies due to their nanoscale fibrous morphology and attractive biomedical properties that accelerate healing and reduce scarring. These abundant natural polymers found in arthropod exoskeletons and fungal cell walls affect almost every phase of the healing process, acting as hemostatic and antibacterial agents that also support cell proliferation and attachment. However, key differences exist in the structure, properties, processing, and associated polymers of fungal and arthropod chitin, affecting their respective application to wound treatment. High purity crustacean-derived chitin and chitosan have been widely investigated for wound-treatment applications, with research incorporating chemically modified chitosan derivatives and advanced nanocomposite dressings utilizing biocompatible additives, such as natural polysaccharides, mineral clays, and metal nanoparticles used to achieve excellent mechanical and biomedical properties. Conversely, fungi-derived chitin is covalently decorated with β-glucan and has received less research interest despite its mass production potential, simple extraction process, variations in chitin and associated polymer content, and the established healing properties of fungal exopolysaccharides. This review investigates the proven biomedical properties of both fungal- and crustacean-derived chitin and chitosan, their healing mechanisms, and their potential to advance modern wound-treatment methods through further research and practical application.
Highlights
Accidents or diseases resulting in skin damage are a commonplace occurrence in everyday life, making wound dressings a critical element of modern healthcare [1]
This review aims to investigate the key differences between animal and fungal chitin and the mechanisms through which chitin and chitosan assist wound healing, before examining the historical and current application of these chitin and chitosan variants to wound-dressing research
The results showed that wounds treated using chitosan were stronger than those treated using chitin
Summary
Accidents or diseases resulting in skin damage are a commonplace occurrence in everyday life, making wound dressings a critical element of modern healthcare [1]. Occurring in arthropod exoskeletons, mollusks, and fungi, chitin is one of the most abundant organic polymers on Earth and is extracted from these natural sources by using a mild alkaline treatment, the concentration of which can be increased if desired to produce chitosan, the deacetylated derivative of chitin [7]. Both chitin and chitosan exhibit properties beneficial to wound-dressing applications, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, hemostatic activity, healing acceleration, nontoxicity, adsorption, and anti-infection properties [1,3]. Advanced wound-dressing technologies utilizing chemically modified chitin and chitosan and nanocomposite architectures are addressed, as well as the future potential of these chitin types in wound treatment
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