Exploring the Versatility of Biopolymer Chitin and Chitosan

A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 April 2025 | Viewed by 3838

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Centre for Engineering Research, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
Interests: antimicrobial nanoparticles; polymer; material characterization; bioengineering and manufacturing
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chitin, the second most abundant natural biopolymer after cellulose, is often used as a precursor for producing ‘Chitosan’ and its derivatives. Chitin and Chitosan are highly biocompatible, and are commercially used in water treatment, agriculture, dietary, cosmetics and other environmental applications. In the biomedical industry, Chitosan is also used as a coagulant for hemostatic treatments and wound dressing to control emergency bleeding. Chitin and chitosan have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their unique properties and diverse applications in various industries. Currently, crustacean is a major source of Chitin. Depending on the source of extraction, Chitin can adopt many different structural conformations (i.e., α, β and γ Chitin) and display different morphologies, which have undiscovered properties and functions. This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted world of Chitin and Chitosan, provides a comprehensive overview of Chitin and Chitosan research, and fosters discussions that contribute to their sustainable utilization and innovation. This Special Issue features research on the methodologies, material characterization and analyses of Chitinous materials, with a particular focus on sustainable production methods and novel applications.

Dr. Yuen-Ki Cheong
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • chitin
  • chitosan
  • biopolymer
  • black soldier fly
  • crustaceous
  • advanced materials
  • sustainable production

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 8551 KiB  
Article
Manufacturing Process Affects Coagulation Kinetics of Ortho-R, an Injectable Chitosan–Platelet-Rich Plasma Biomaterial for Tissue Repair
by Anik Chevrier and Marc Lavertu
Bioengineering 2024, 11(9), 929; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11090929 - 17 Sep 2024
Viewed by 618
Abstract
Ortho-R (ChitogenX Inc., Kirkland, QC, Canada) is an injectable combination drug–biologic product that is used as an adjunct to augment the standard of care for the surgical repair of soft tissues. The drug product comprises lyophilized chitosan, trehalose and calcium chloride, and it [...] Read more.
Ortho-R (ChitogenX Inc., Kirkland, QC, Canada) is an injectable combination drug–biologic product that is used as an adjunct to augment the standard of care for the surgical repair of soft tissues. The drug product comprises lyophilized chitosan, trehalose and calcium chloride, and it is dissolved in platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a blood-derived biologic, prior to injection at the surgical site where it will coagulate. The first step of the Ortho-R manufacturing process involves dissolving the chitosan in hydrochloric acid. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of increasing the amount of acid used to dissolve the chitosan on final drug product performance, more specifically, on the chitosan–PRP coagulation kinetics. Chitosans were solubilized in hydrochloric acid, with concentrations adjusted to obtain between 60% and 95% protonation of the chitosan amino groups. Freeze-dried Ortho-R was solubilized with PRP, and coagulation was assessed using thromboelastography (TEG). The clotted mixtures were observed with histology. Clot reaction time (TEG R) increased and clot maximal amplitude (TEG MA) decreased with protonation levels as pH decreased. Chitosan distribution was homogeneous in chitosan–PRP clots at the lowest protonation levels, but it accumulated toward the surface of the clots at the highest protonation levels as pH decreased. These changes in coagulation kinetics, clot strength and chitosan distribution induced by high protonation of the chitosan amino groups were partially reversed by adding sodium hydroxide to the dissolved chitosan component in order to decrease pH. Careful control of manufacturing processes is critical, and it is important to consider the impact of each manufacturing step on product performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring the Versatility of Biopolymer Chitin and Chitosan)
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