Chitosan Sponge Research Articles

Preparation of a novel asymmetric wettable chitosan-based sponge and its role in promoting chronic wound healing

Cutaneous chronic wounds are characterized by an impaired wound healing which may lead to infection. To surmount this problem, a novel quaternary ammonium chitosan nanoparticles (TMC NPs)/chitosan (CS)composite sponge with asymmetric wettability surfaces was successfully prepared. The optimum concentrations of TMC NPs and CS were 0.2 mg/mL and 2.0%, respectively. The incorporated TMC NPs could improve the antibacterial activity of the CS sponge. Asymmetric modification enables the CS sponge to have hydrophobic outer surface and hydrophilic inner surface. The hydrophobic surface of the sponge shows waterproof and anti-adhesion contaminant properties, whereas the hydrophilic surface preserves water-absorbing capability and efficiently inhibits the growth of bacteria. More importantly, in vivo chronic wound healing model evaluation reveals that TMC NPs/CS composite sponge promotes the wound healing and accelerates re-epithelialization and angiogenesis. And in vivo anti-infection test shows the TMC NPs/CS composite sponge could effectively prevent wound infection. These findings demonstrate that TMC NPs/CS composite sponge is a promising dressing material for chronic wounds.

Construction of a sandwich‐type wound dressing with pain‐reliever and pH‐responsive antibiotic delivery system

ABSTRACTA multifunctional sandwich type wound dressing was designed in which two types of microspheres, one to alleviate the pain (ibuprofen) and the other to protect the wound from infections (Gentamicin or Ciprofloxacin), were embedded into bilayer chitosan sponge. pH of the wound increases from acidic (pH ~ 5) to basic (pH ~ 8) via infection, so pH‐dependent antibiotic release system was designed using gelatin B microspheres to respond to increasing pH. Ibuprofen release from chitosan microspheres, on the other hand, was pH‐independent not to intervene with pain management in changing pH conditions. Crosslinking with glutaraldehyde (GA) affected both release profile and size distribution of microspheres and 2.5% GA was chosen to obtain pH‐responsive gelatin microspheres with narrow size distribution (80% of microspheres in between 15 and 25 μm). The final system was found to be effective against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and changing pH seemed to affect the antimicrobial agent delivery as desired. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 48252.

Enhanced bone regeneration capability of chitosan sponge coated with TiO2 nanoparticles

Chitosan has been a popular option for tissue engineering, however exhibits limited function for bone regeneration due to its low mechanical robustness and non-osteogenic inductivity. Here we hybridized chitosan with TiO2 nanoparticles to improve its bone regeneration capability. Morphology and crystallographic analysis showed that TiO2 nanoparticles in anatase-type were distributed evenly on the surface of the chitosan sponges. Degradation test showed a significant effect of TiO2 nanoparticles addition in retaining its integrity. Biomineralization assay using simulated body fluid showed apatite formation in sponges surface as denoted by PO4− band observed in FTIR results. qPCR analysis supported chitosan - TiO2 sponges in bone regeneration capability as indicated by DMP1 and OCN gene upregulation in TiO2 treated group. Finally, cytotoxicity analysis supported the fact that TiO2 nanoparticles added sponges were proved to be biocompatible. Results suggest that chitosan-50% TiO2 nanoparticles sponges could be a potential novel scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

N-alkylated chitosan/graphene oxide porous sponge for rapid and effective hemostasis in emergency situations

N-alkylated chitosan (AC) sponges and graphene oxide (GO) sponges are promising candidates for emergency hemostat. However, AC sponges have weak mechanical strength and GO sponges may induce toxicity. To overcome these problems, a series of AC/GO composite spongs (ACGS) were prepared with various ratios (GO/AC, 0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) using a dilute solution freeze phase separation and drying process. The sponges exhibit excellent absorption capacity, mechanical stability, and biocompatibility. In serial in vitro clotting tests, the higher the ratio of GO, the better the coagulation efficiency. ACGS with 20% ratio of GO (ACGS20) has shorter hemostatic time than Celox in a rabbit femoral injury test. Moreover, ACGS20 can accelerate erythrocyte and platelet adhesion. CD62p and intracellular Ca2+ measurements show that ACGS20 can promote the release of intracellular Ca2+ and stimulate platelet activation. These results suggest that ACGS20 is a good candidate composition for a safe and efficacious hemostatic dressing.

Chitosan sponges as a sustained release carrier system for the prophylaxis of orthopedic implant-associated infections

The present investigation aims to study the chitosan sponge as a carrier matrix for the sustained antibiotic release system for the prophylaxis of orthopedic implant-associated infections (OIAIs). We have prepared sponges of three broad-spectrum antibiotics, namely vancomycin, ciprofloxacin and cefuroxime possessing different physicochemical properties. The blank, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin and cefuroxime loaded chitosan sponges were denoted as Blank-CH, CH-VAN, CH-CIP, and CH-CEF sponges. Chitosan sponges were assessed for morphology, drug-release, antibacterial potential, and preclinical evaluation using a rat subcutaneous implantation model. The results revealed that the physicochemical properties of the drug incorporated into the chitosan matrix play an important role in the morphology, degradation and drug release profile. Due to the highly hydrophilic properties of vancomycin, the CH-VAN sponge showed the highest swelling and fastest degradation profile. The CH-VAN sponge demonstrated the short-term release in contrast with the CH-CEF and CH-CIP sponges, which showed sustained release along with sustainable antibacterial activity. The preclinical evaluation proved that the CH-CIP and CH-CEF sponges were biodegradable, non-toxic and biocompatible. Further, the CH-CIP and CH-CEF sponges were able to maintain minimum plasma concentration with higher local tissue antibiotic concentration. Therefore, the CH-CIP and CH-CEF sponges could be promising candidates for the long-term prophylaxis of OIAIs.

Development and Evaluation of an Injectable Chitosan/β-Glycerophosphate Paste as a Local Antibiotic Delivery System for Trauma Care.

Complex open musculoskeletal wounds are a leading cause of morbidity worldwide, partially due to a high risk of bacterial contamination. Local delivery systems may be used as adjunctive therapies to prevent infection, but they may be nondegradable, possess inadequate wound coverage, or migrate from the wound site. To address this issue, a thermo-responsive, injectable chitosan paste was fabricated by incorporating beta-glycerophosphate. The efficacy of thermo-paste as an adjunctive infection prevention tool was evaluated in terms of cytocompatibility, degradation, antibacterial, injectability, and inflammation properties. In vitro studies demonstrated thermo-paste may be loaded with amikacin and vancomycin and release inhibitory levels for at least 3 days. Further, approximately 60% of thermo-paste was enzymatically degraded within 7 days in vitro. The viability of cells exposed to thermo-paste exceeded ISO 10993-5 standards with approximately 73% relative viability of a control chitosan sponge. The ejection force of thermo-paste, approximately 20 N, was lower than previously studied paste formulations and within relevant clinical ejection force ranges. An in vivo murine biocompatibility study demonstrated that thermo-paste induced minimal inflammation after implantation for 7 days, similar to previously developed chitosan pastes. Results from these preliminary preclinical studies indicate that thermo-paste shows promise for further development as an antibiotic delivery system for infection prevention.

High-performance poly(vinyl alcohol)–chitosan sponge modified with graphene oxide

Three-dimensional porous sponge with good mechanical strength, high absorption capacity and recyclability is of scientific and technological interest. In this work, graphene oxide has been incorporated into poly(vinyl alcohol)–chitosan sponge during acetalization reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) for the fabrication of macroporous and amphiphilic sponges. Mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy indicate that the as-prepared sponges have interconnected open-cell structures. The incorporation of graphene oxide and the interconnected macroporous structures in the amphiphilic sponges endow them with improved absorption capacity for both water and organic liquids. Moreover, the absorbed liquids can be effectively collected through simple squeezing and the sponges can be used repeatedly while maintaining a relative high absorption capacity. The simple fabrication and improved performance of the resulting sponges suggest that they have potential industrial applications.

Butoconazole nitrate vaginal sponge: Drug release and antifungal efficacy

This work aimed to develop an antifungal vaginal sponge loaded with butoconazole nitrate (BN). Sponges were prepared by lyophilization of different polymers (chitosan, gelatin, hydroxyl propyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and carbopol 934) with calcium chloride as crosslinking agent, sodium carboxymethylcellulose as viscosity modifier and different solubilizers. They were characterized regarding morphology, tensile force, elongation percentage, swelling index and their drug release properties. Mucoadhesion force and residence time with cow vaginal mucosa were also determined. The selected formulae were examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the scanning electron microscope (SEM), stability and antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Results revealed that all sponges biodegraded completely within 24 h. Chitosan sponges exhibited favorable values and in-vitro drug release. Selected chitosan sponges were stable for three months regarding their physical properties and their release profile. Agar diffusion susceptibility test revealed that chitosan: HPMC (1: 1) with 1.5% w/v Tween 80- sponge was the most effective in term of fungal eradication compared to other sponges and plain drug as well. The results suggested that this mucoadhesive system could be a very promising alternative for other commercially available vaginal antifungal dosage forms, with longer residence time and improved patient compliance.

Preparation of micro-nanofibrous chitosan sponges with ternary solvents for dye adsorption

Chitosan has been widely used to adsorb the contaminants in wastewater owing to its unique chemical structure. However, it is difficult to improve its adsorption performance by fabricating fibrous chitosan sponge with nanofiber or microfiber due to its strong hydrogen bond inside the molecular chain. In this study, different from traditional binary acetic acid/water solvents, ternary solvents comprised with acetic acid/water/tetrahydrofuran, along with quench temperature of −196 ℃ were adopted to prepare three dimensional chitosan sponge with micro-nanofibrous structure. The chitosan micro-nanofibrous sponge showed substantially improved adsorption capacity of Acid Blue-113 (687 mg/g) compared with the chitosan sponge (176.5 mg/g) prepared with binary acetic acid/water solvents and quench temperature of −20 ℃. The adsorption of Acid Blue-113 onto chitosan micro-nanofibrous sponges was a chemical process, which fitted the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isotherm models. The results indicated that microstructure modification was an effective and facile way to improve the chitosan adsorption capacity. The pure chitosan micro-nanofibrous sponge could be considered as an ideal dye adsorbent from wastewater.

Green and Facile Preparation of Chitosan Sponges as Potential Wound Dressings

The aim of this study was to prepare nonleaching chitosan based wound dressings via chemical modification. A green and facile method was applied to fabricate ampicillin grafted chitosan (CSAP) sponges. The morphology, porosity, and swelling behavior of CSAP sponges were analyzed. Specifically, the antibacterial activity of CSAP sponges toward Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Escherichia coli was assessed using a series of assays, including bacterial growth curve, nucleic acids leakage, and live/dead staining. As expected, CSAP sponges exhibit excellent antibacterial activity without any leaching. The cytotoxicity assay was carried out on HEK293 cells in vitro, and the result prove the good biocompatibility of the developed sponges. Moreover, the wound healing ability was evaluated using a wound model in vivo, and the result shows that the sponge could speed up wound healing efficiently. Thus, the chemically modified chitosan sponges exhibit great potential as promising wound dressings.

Three-dimensional polylactic acid@graphene oxide/chitosan sponge bionic filter: Highly efficient adsorption of crystal violet dye

Owing to low bearing capacity and efficiency, traditional filters or adsorbents for removal of contaminants like crystal violet (CV) dye required frequent replacement. Besides, the combination of three-dimensional (3D) printing and bionics could break the constraints of traditional configuration. In this study, a novel depth-type hybrid polylactic acid (PLA)@graphene oxide (GO)/chitosan (CS) sponge filter with bionic fish-mouth structure was prepared and fabricated, assisted by 3D printing and double freeze-drying technology, according to the theories of vertical cross-step filtration and swirling flow. And GO/CS sponge and its filtering device were characterized by FITR, SEM, water adsorption and so on. Moreover, it was explained that the impact factors on dye removal mechanism, like GO content (or CS content), contact time, pH, temperature and bionic configuration. As a result, the bionic 3D filtering device demonstrated excellent removal efficiency (97.8±0.5% for CV) and GO/CS sponge exhibited higher strength (74.5±3.5MPa) at the condition of GO content of 9wt%, contact time of 46min, pH of 8 and 35°C, respectively. Therefore, the resulting 3D PLA@GO/CS sponge bionic filter via gravity and vortex driving provided new alternatives for effectively dye-water separation, and it showed great promise for application of biological macromolecules in adsorption.

Local control of polymicrobial infections via a dual antibiotic delivery system

BackgroundContaminated traumatic open orthopedic wounds are frequently complicated by polymicrobial contamination and infection. In high-risk wounds, the standard of care comprises debridement and irrigation combined with antibiotics which can be applied directly or combined with systemic antibiotics. Recently, bioabsorbable chitosan sponges have been shown to be an effective single-agent delivery device for local antibiotics with and without negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). Severely contaminated orthopedic wounds, however, are often complicated by polymicrobial infections, necessitating multiple antibiotic agents. As such, the purpose of this study was to determine if a chitosan sponge would provide a suitable delivery vehicle for multiple antibiotics for the treatment of a polymicrobial infection in a large animal polytraumatic extremity wound model.MethodsA complex polytraumatic extremity wound was created in 11 adult male Boer goats. Each wound was contaminated with a bioluminescent strain of S. aureus (1 ml of 108 colony forming units/ml) and of P. aeruginosa (1 ml of 108 CFU/ml) which are genetically engineered to allow quantification with a photon-counting camera. Six hours following initial wound creation and contamination, wounds were debrided and irrigated with low-pressure normal saline. The animals were randomized into one of two treatments: wet-to-dry dressings alone or a commercially available chitosan sponge loaded with 1 g vancomycin and 1.2 g of tobramycin. Each animal was then recovered and reimaged 48 h later for total bacteria content; tissue samples were taken from the wound bed to determine relative bacterial colonization.ResultsAll animals in the chitosan sponge group saw significant reductions in overall bacterial load of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa (p = 0.001). The bioluminescence was also significantly reduced compared to the wet-to-dry dressing group (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, whereas the antibiotic sponge group displayed near complete eradication of bacteria, the wounds treated with the wet-to-dry dressings alone displayed a significant 2-log increase in total bacteria at 48 h p = 0.0001). S. aureus was the predominant species found in the wounds, comprising 95 and 99% of all bacteria found in the chitosan sponge and wet-to-dry, respectively.ConclusionDual antimicrobial therapy loaded in a chitosan sponge is an effective way to reduce polymicrobial infections traumatic extremity wound.

Local Delivery of Amikacin and Vancomycin from Chitosan Sponges Prevent Polymicrobial Implant-Associated Biofilm.

Military personnel have high risk for infection, particularly those with combat-related extremity trauma. Administration of multiple or broad-spectrum antibiotics provides clinicians with a strategy for preventing biofilm-based medical device infections. Selection of effective antibiotic combinations based on common pathogens may be used to improve chitosan wound dressing sponge-based local antibiotic delivery systems. In vitro assays in this study demonstrate that vancomycin and amikacin have a synergistic relationship against a strain of osteomyelitis-producing Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, although an indifferent relationship was observed against Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In an in vivo model of orthopedic hardware-associated polymicrobial (S. aureus and Escherichia coli) biofilm, chitosan sponges loaded with a combination of vancomycin and amikacin at 5 mg/mL each showed a greater percentage of complete clearance, 50%, than either antibiotic alone, 8.33%. Doubling the loading concentration of the combination achieved a complete clearance rate of 100%, a four log-fold reduction of S. aureus on the wire and a six log-fold reduction in bone. E. coli was detected in bone of untreated animals but did not form biofilm on wires. Results demonstrate the clinical potential of chitosan sponges to prevent infection and illustrates antibiotic selection and loading concentrations necessary for effective biofilm prevention.

Ciprofloxacin and Rifampin Dual Antibiotic-Loaded Biopolymer Chitosan Sponge for Bacterial Inhibition.

Complex extremity wounds in Wounded Warriors can become contaminated with microbes, which may cause clinical outcomes resulting in amputation, morbidity, or even fatality. Local delivery of multiple or broad-spectrum antibiotics allows practicing clinicians treatment solutions that may inhibit biofilm formation. Propagation of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is also a growing concern. The development of vancomycin-resistant S. aureus has become a critical challenge in nosocomial infection prevention in the USA, but to date has seen little occurrence in osteomyelitis. As an alternative, locally delivered ciprofloxacin and rifampin were investigated in a preclinical model for the prevention of biofilm in complex extremity wounds with implanted fixation device. In vitro assays demonstrated ciprofloxacin and rifampin possess an additive effect against Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and were actively eluted from a chitosan sponge based local delivery system. In an in vivo orthopedic hardware-associated polymicrobial model (S. aureus and Escherichia coli) the combination was able to achieve complete clearance of both bacterial strains. E. coli was detected in bone of untreated animals, but did not form biofilm on wires. Results reveal the clinical potential of antibiotic-loaded chitosan sponges to inhibit infection through tailored antibiotic selection at desired concentrations with efficacy towards biofilm inhibition.

Preparation of elastic diglycolamic-acid modified chitosan sponges and their application to recycling of rare-earth from waste phosphor powder

Inspired by the phenomenon of sponges soaking up water, a novel syringe-like adsorption device used diglycolamic-acid modified chitosan sponges (CSs-DGAA) as adsorbents is reported for recycling of rare-earth elements (REEs) by Squeezing & Soaking (S&S) operation. Integrating the elasticity of sponges and selective extraction ability of diglycolamic acid groups, the new device can efficiently recycle REEs from aqueous solutions. This device only needs 10 min to achieve adsorption equilibrium; squeezing the water from the sponges achieves solid-liquid separation. This syringe-like adsorption method not only solves the pollution problem caused by the organic solvents used during liquidliquid extractions, but also improves the time needed to achieve adsorption equilibrium and uses significantly less energy than energy intensive solid-phase extractions of solid-liquid separations. Moreover, the environment-friendly adsorbents effectively recycle yttrium and europium from waste phosphor powders. These experimental results demonstrated that the S&S method based on polymeric sponges has potential application in hydrometallurgy and environmental remediation.

Antimicrobial sponge prepared by hydrophobically modified chitosan for bacteria removal

Hydrophobically modified chitosan (HMCS) prepared by reacting chitosan with dodecyl aldehyde can generate very stable foam when dissolved in mild acidic condition under vigorous mechanical stirring. A durable and lightweight (density of 32 mg/ml) sponge was obtained by freeze-drying the stably formed HMCS foam. In addition to the cationic nature of chitosan, the grafted C12 alkyl chains were also able to help HMCS sponge for capturing E. coli cells (∼4.0 × 108 cells/mg sponge) by intercalating into the outer membrane of E. coli cells. E. coli cells captured on HMCS sponge were found to be mostly dead and easily released into the bulk solution so that the active surface could be continuously regenerated for capturing and killing the rest of alive cells. In comparison with its counterpart (chitosan sponge), HMCS sponge maintained a higher operational stability for the removal of E. coli cells. After 5 repeated cells removal operation, the removal capacity of HMCS sponge could be regenerated back to >90% by thorough washing with ethanol.

The bioconjugation mechanism of purine cross-linkers affects microstructure and cell response to ultra rapidly gelling purine-chitosan sponges.

As a cell carrier, cross-linking is one of the most common approaches used to provide chitosan with greater structural integrity. We introduced a cross-linking strategy by using two purines, guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP) or adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), as cross-linkers. The rationale for this approach is that both GDP and ADP have an important physiological role and act as intercellular signaling molecules in numerous biological processes. The slight difference between the chemical structure of guanine and adenosine in GDP and ADP, respectively, affect the cross-linking mechanism. This resulted in a different scaffold microstructure and thus, altered the response of encapsulated cells to the scaffold. FTIR and solid-state 13C-NMR revealed the formation of a quadruplex structure among the four GDP molecules confined between the chitosan backbone. This resulted from the ability of guanine to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds, while adenosine in ADP lacks this capacity. The formation of a more organized structure in GDP-chitosan sponges also increased the crystallinity of the sponge as shown by X-ray diffraction data. Further, physicochemical analyses with SEM and μCT indicated a more open-pore architecture and increased porosity. Although an active population of encapsulated cells was maintained in all chitosan sponges overtime, the GDP-based sponges provided a 6-fold increase in the activity of MC-3T3 cells and significantly enhanced their proliferation due to a more appropriate microstructure. Overall, these findings suggest that slight changes in the chemical structure of the cross-linker in the preparation of chitosan-based biomaterials will have a significant impact on the structural properties of the chitosan. This important parameter can be utilized to modulate cell response and to understand the cell signaling pathway of chitosan-based biomaterials in the context of their applications in tissue engineering.

TGF-β1 affinity peptides incorporated within a chitosan sponge scaffold can significantly enhance cartilage regeneration.

Growth factors, such as TGF-β and BMPs, play key roles in the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and cartilage regeneration in vivo. Nevertheless, there are some technical challenges in delivering exogenous growth factors in vivo, such as burst release and loss of bioactivity. In this study, TGF-β1 affinity peptides were incorporated within porous chitosan scaffolds to enhance cartilage regeneration. Significant upregulation of gene expression levels of Sox9, Col II and AGG during chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs in vitro, were positively correlated with increasing amounts of TGF-β1 affinity peptides incorporated within the chitosan scaffolds. The results of ectopic implantation of scaffolds in nude mice showed that incorporation of TGF-β1 affinity peptides and preloading of TGF-β1 synergistically enhanced ectopic cartilage formation at both high and low cell densities. Furthermore, in a rabbit osteochondral defect model, implantation of chitosan scaffolds incorporated with TGF-β1 affinity peptides (CHI-PEP) could significantly promote cartilage regeneration, even in the absence of exogenous growth factors and seeded cells. Notably, inflammation and cartilage degeneration were markedly alleviated in the CHI-PEP group. Hence, incorporation of TGF-β1 affinity peptide within the chitosan sponge scaffold significantly enhanced articular cartilage regeneration.

High performance strain sensors based on chitosan/carbon black composite sponges

Chitosan (CS)/carbon black (CB) composite sponges with high electrical conductivity and strain sensing sensitivity are prepared by combining solution-mixing and freeze-drying techniques. CB nanoparticles with diameter of ~40nm play the role of a conductive component in the CS/CB composites. CB can form a continuous filler network in CS, which leads to the increase in viscosity and shear modulus. When writing and drying the CS/CB conductive ink, conductive tracks are obtained. With the increase in CB content, the density, electrical conductivity, compressive properties, and thermal stability of CS sponges are improved. The X-ray diffraction and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy results show CB are successfully compounded into CS matrix. The addition of CB leads to a slight decrease in the porosity of CS sponges. Sensing performances of CS/CB composite sponges are investigated by detecting various human activities including pronouncing, breathing, and joint bending. CS/CB composite sponges show good sensitivity and stability after several hundred loops. CS/CB composite sponges combine the advantages of low-cost, easy fabricating process, flexible, and high performance, which make them show great potentials in highly sensitive strain sensor.

Preparation of composite hydroxybutyl chitosan sponge and its role in promoting wound healing

In this work, a composite sponge was produced by physically mixing hydroxybutyl chitosan with chitosan to form a porous spongy material through vacuum freeze-drying. Hydrophilic and macroporous composite hydroxybutyl chitosan sponge was developed via the incorporation of chitosan into hydroxybutyl chitosan. The composite sponge showed higher porosity (about 85%), greater water absorption (about 25 times), better softness and lower blood-clotting index (BCI) than those of chitosan sponge and hydroxybutyl chitosan sponge. The composite sponge with good hydrophilic could absorb the moisture in the blood to increase blood concentration and viscosity, and become a semi-swelling viscous colloid to clog the capillaries. Cytocompatibility tests with L929 cells and HUVEC cells demonstrated that composite sponge were no cytotoxicity, and could promote the growth of fibroblasts. It made up for the shortcomings of hydroxybutyl chitosan with unfavorable antibacterial effect to achieve a higher level of antibacterial (>99.99% reduction). Eventually, the vivo evaluations in Sprague–Dawley rats revealed that epithelial cells attached to the composite sponge and penetrated into the interior, in addition to this, it was also proved that the composite sponge (HC-1) had a better ability to promote wound healing and helped for faster formation of skin glands and re-epithelialization. The obtained data encourage the use of this composite sponge for wound dressings.