Potentials of chitosan-based delivery systems in wound therapy: bioadhesion study.

Julia Hurler,Nataša Škalko-Basnet

doi:10.3390/jfb3010037

Julia Hurler, Nataša Škalko-Basnet

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb3010037

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Abstract

Chitosan is currently proposed to be one of the most promising polymers in wound dressing development. Our research focuses on its potential as a vehicle for nano-delivery systems destined for burn therapy. One of the most important features of wound dressing is its bioadhesion to the wounded site. We compared the bioadhesive properties of chitosan with those of Carbopol, a synthetic origin polymer. Chitosan-based hydrogels of different molecular weights were first analyzed by texture analysis for gel cohesiveness, adhesiveness and hardness. In vitro release studies showed no difference in release of model antimicrobial drug from the different hydrogel formulations. Bioadhesion tests were performed on pig ear skin and the detachment force, necessary to remove the die from the skin, and the amount of remaining formulation on the skin were determined. Although no significant difference regarding detachment force could be seen between Carbopol-based and chitosan-based formulations, almost double the amount of chitosan formulation remained on the skin as compared to Carbopol formulations. The findings confirmed the great potential of chitosan-based delivery systems in advanced wound therapy. Moreover, results suggest that formulation retention on the ex vivo skin samples could provide deeper insight on formulation bioadhesiveness than the determination of detachment force.

Highlights

Wound therapy represents one of the challenging areas in drug product development, as in the United States alone more than 6.5 million patients are affected annually and the costs of treatment is estimated to be US$ 25 billion per year [1]
We reported previously [9] that the direct comparison of results obtained by texture analysis of hydrogels made of different polymers is not reliable due to the fact that the experimental set up needs to be adjusted to the gel properties
Chitosan has a great potential as a dressing for advanced wound therapy

Summary

Introduction

Wound therapy represents one of the challenging areas in drug product development, as in the United States alone more than 6.5 million patients are affected annually and the costs of treatment is estimated to be US$ 25 billion per year [1]. Of burn wounds, are the most serious complications related to burn injuries [2]. Up to 1% of population requires medical treatment each year due to burn injuries [3]. The consensus within the wound therapy field recommends that modern wound dressings should preserve a humid environment and create a protective barrier against both mechanical stress and secondary infections. Other important properties of a wound dressing are its acceptability to the patient and cost per unit [4]

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Results

Conclusion