title: Use of chitosan as a biomaterial: studies on its safety and hemostatic potential.
abstract: Chitosan, a mucopolysaccharide of marine origin, was studied for its safety and hemostatic potential. Its surface was treated with glutaraldehyde, carbodiimide, and plasma glow discharge to elicit effects of enzyme degradation. Of the seven enzymes used, leucine amino peptidase caused maximum degradation. Autoclaving appeared to be an ideal sterilizing method as it caused least decrease in tensile strength and effected a negligible rate of hemolysis. Sterilizing with glutaraldehyde with a physiologic pH retained the maximum tensile strength of chitosan. In vivo toxicity tests indicated that it is nontoxic, and the sterilized films were free of pyrogen. Coagulation and hemagglutination tests showed that the hemostatic mechanism of chitosan seems to be independent of the classical coagulation cascade and appears to be an interaction between the cell membrane of erythrocytes and chitosan.
authors.affiliation: Bio-Medical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Poojappura, India.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D048271:Chitosan; D004798:Enzymes / Q000737:chemistry; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006490:Hemostatics / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010973:Platelet Adhesiveness / Q000187:drug effects; D013242:Sterilization; D013499:Surface Properties; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004798:Enzymes; D006490:Hemostatics; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan