Characterization and efficacy of chitosan membranes in the treatment of skin ulcers

Abstract

Chronic wounds aggravate the patient's indisposition by causing mobility, economic and social problems. Chitosan is a natural polymer that is considered a potent healing agent for skin lesions and has been used previously to manufacture dressings for wounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the curative effect of chitosan membranes on cutaneous ulcers. The chitosan was characterized by measuring the degree of deacetylation and FTIR. The membranes were obtained by a solvent evaporation technique. Four patients with cutaneous ulcers were recruited to evaluate the effectiveness of the topical membranes. At the beginning of the in vivo assay, patients presented with infected wounds. By the end of treatment, the infection subsided, the granulation process was promoted and complete skin coverage was observed in most patients. The use of chitosan as a treatment for the healing of skin ulcers is considered highly promising for its medicinal properties, as well as for its affordability compared to traditional treatments.

A Prospective Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Chitosan Hydrogel Paste in Comparison to Commercial Hydroactive Gel as a Wound Bed Preparation

“…Thus, both dressings enhanced wound repair while providing moisture and protection to the wound via properties such as antibacterial 42 and angiogenic properties. 11 12 43 44 45 Another study showed that chitosan gel augmented the synthesis levels of collagen, an endogenous antioxidant, and prevented free radical-mediated tissue injury. 46 47 This endogenous antioxidant may indicate that chitosan prevents the development of necrotic tissue.…”

Efficacy of chitosan in the treatment of chronic skin lesions in a horse: A case report

“…Due to its biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic, antimicrobial, and coagulant properties, chitosan has been applied to skin lesions in the form of gels, sponges, powders, fibers, and films ( Sánchez-Machado et al., 2019 ). Chitosan films are cheap, flexible, and elastic, which is why they can be used for multiple purposes, including wound healing ( López-Cervantes et al., 2019 ). Currently, its healing ability in animals has been described ( Maldonado-Cabrera et al., 2021 ).…”

Versatile Use of Chitosan and Hyaluronan in Medicine

“…Azad et al [ 90 ] showed the beneficial effect of chitosan membranes at the skin-graft donor site in patients. The effects of chitosan membranes were successfully exploited on skin ulcers in patients [ 91 ]. Nordback et al [ 92 ] proved the beneficial effects of chitosan membranes in cutaneous wounds in rats.…”