USE OF CHITOSAN AS A BIOMATERIAL - STUDIES ON ITS SAFETY AND HEMOSTATIC POTENTIAL

Chitosan, a mucopolysaccharide of marine origin, was studied for its s afety and hemostatic potential. Its surface was treated with glutarald ehyde, carbodiimide, and plasma glow discharge to elicit effects of en zyme degradation. Of the seven enzymes used, leucine amino peptidase c aused maximum degradation. Autoclaving appeared to be an ideal sterili zing method as it caused least decrease in tensile strength and effect ed a negligible rate of hemolysis. Sterilizing with glutaraldehyde wit h a physiologic pH retained the maximum tensile strength of chitosan. In vivo toxicity tests indicated that it is nontoxic, and the steriliz ed films were free of pyrogen. Coagulation and hemagglutination tests showed that the hemostatic mechanism of chitosan seems to be independe nt of the classical coagulation cascade and appears to be an interacti on between the cell membrane of erythrocytes and chitosan. (C) 1997 Jo hn Wiley & Sons, Inc.