title: The biocompatibility of dibutyryl chitin in the context of wound dressings.
abstract: Dibutyryl chitin (DBC) is a modified chitin carrying butyryl groups at 3 and 6 positions; its peculiarity is that it dissolves promptly in common solvents, while being insoluble in aqueous systems. The high biocompatibility of dibutyryl chitin in the form of films and non-wovens has been demonstrated for human, chick and mouse fibroblasts by the Viability/Cytotoxicity assay, In situ Cell Proliferation assay, Neutral Red Retention assay, Lactate Dehydrogenase Release assay, MTS cytotoxicity assay, and scanning electron microscopy. DBC was hardly degradable by lysozyme, amylase, collagenase, pectinase and cellulase over the observation period of 48 days at room temperature, during which no more than 1.33% by weight of the DBC filaments (0.3 mm diameter) was released to the aqueous medium. DBC non-wovens were incorporated into 5-methylpyrrolidinone chitosan solution and submitted to freeze-drying to produce a reinforced wound dressing material. The latter was tested in vivo in full thickness wounds in rats. The insertion of 4x4 mm pieces did not promote any adverse effect on the healing process, as shown histologically. DBC is therefore suitable for contacting intact and wounded human tissues.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy. muzzarelli@unian.it
authors.forename: Riccardo A A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Muzzarelli
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guerrieri
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goteri
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muzzarelli
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Armeni
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghiselli
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
mesh_terms: D000681:Amylases / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000201:enzymology; D001458:Bandages; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001684:Biological Dressings; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002480:Cellulase / Q000737:chemistry; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D003013:Clostridium / Q000201:enzymology; D017364:Collagenases / Q000737:chemistry; D003470:Culture Media; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D001467:Hordeum / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry; D011096:Polygalacturonase / Q000737:chemistry; D011760:Pyrrolidinones / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000201:enzymology; D014945:Wound Healing; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001704:Biopolymers; D003470:Culture Media; D011760:Pyrrolidinones; C085060:methylpyrrolidinone chitosan; D048271:Chitosan; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000681:Amylases; D000516:alpha-Amylases; D011096:Polygalacturonase; D009113:Muramidase; D002480:Cellulase; D017364:Collagenases