Autoclaving-Triggered Hydrogelation of Chitosan-Gluconic acid Conjugate Aqueous Solution for Wound Healing
Yusuke Yamashita,
Yoshihiro Ohzuno,
Yoichi Saito,
Yukio Fujiwara,
Masahiro Yoshida,
Takayuki Takei
Affiliations
Yusuke Yamashita
Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-40 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
Yoshihiro Ohzuno
Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-40 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
Yoichi Saito
Laboratory of Bioengineering, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-8555, Japan
Yukio Fujiwara
Department of Cell Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
Masahiro Yoshida
Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-40 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
Takayuki Takei
Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-40 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
Moist wound healing is known to heal wounds faster than dry wound healing. Hydrogel wound dressings are suitable for moist wound healing because of their hyperhydrous structure. Chitosan, a natural polymer, promotes wound healing by stimulating inflammatory cells and releasing bioactive compounds. Therefore, chitosan hydrogel has great potential as a wound dressing. In our previous study, physically crosslinked chitosan hydrogels were successfully prepared solely by freeze-thawing of chitosan-gluconic acid conjugate (CG) aqueous solution without using any toxic additives. Furthermore, the CG hydrogels could be sterilized by autoclaving (steam sterilization). In this study, we showed that autoclaving (121 °C, 20 min) of a CG aqueous solution simultaneously achieved gelation of the solution and sterilization of the hydrogel. Hydrogelation of CG aqueous solution by autoclaving is also physically crosslinking without any toxic additives. Further, we showed that the CG hydrogels retained favorable biological properties of the CG hydrogels prepared by freeze-thawing and subsequent autoclaving. These results indicated that CG hydrogels prepared by autoclaving were promising as wound dressings.
