Development and in vitro evaluation of chitosan–polysaccharides composite wound dressings

This study focuses on the design and evaluation of chitosan-based films intended for wound dressing application. Films of chitosan and their blends with cornstarch and dextran were developed to improve the films’ physical strength. Polypropylene glycol at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% (w/v) was added to improve the films’ flexibility. Some properties required for successful wound dressing, such as liquid adsorption, vapor and oxygen penetration, bioadhesiveness, and film elasticity, were examined. Chitosan films showed the highest liquid adsorption and the adsorption tended to decrease with addition of cornstarch and dextran. Moisture vapor and oxygen were found to be able to penetrate through all film formulations, and those films with cornstarch and dextran showed increased penetration rates through the films. The bioadhesiveness test using a pig gut model did not show significantly different bioadhesive properties with the addition of cornstarch and dextran. The film elasticity of the formulation containing only chitosan exhibited the lowest elongation of the film at a force of 2 N, but increased with the addition of cornstarch and dextran, respectively. In conclusion, the design and development of chitosan as a wound dressing can be improved by the addition of cornstarch or dextran, and propylene glycol to obtain the films with optimal properties for wound management.