Papain incorporated chitin dressings for wound debridement sterilized by gamma radiation

Wound debridement is essential for the removal of necrotic or nonviable tissue from the wound surface to create an environment conducive to healing. Nonsurgical enzymatic debridement is an attractive method due to its effectiveness and ease of use. Papain is a proteolytic enzyme derived from the fruit of Carica papaya and is capable of breaking down a variety of necrotic tissue substrates. The present study was focused on the use of gamma radiation for sterilization of papain dressing with wound debriding activity. Membranes with papain were prepared using 0.5% chitin in lithium chloride/dimethylacetamide solvent and sterilized by gamma radiation. Fluid absorption capacity of chitin–papain membranes without glycerol was 14.30±6.57% in 6 h. Incorporation of glycerol resulted in significant (p<0.001) increase in the absorption capacity. Moisture vapour transmission rate of the membranes was 4285.77±455.61 g/m²/24 h at 24 h. Gamma irradiation at 25 kGy was found suitable for sterilization of the dressings. Infrared (IR) spectral scanning has shown that papain was stable on gamma irradiation at 25–35 kGy. The irradiated chitin–papain membranes were impermeable to different bacterial strains and also exhibited strong bactericidal action against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The fluid handling characteristics and the antimicrobial properties of chitin–papain membranes sterilized by gamma radiation were found suitable for use as wound dressing with debriding activity.     

Dehydration kinetics of polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel wound dressings during wound healing process

<正>The hydrogel wound dressing based on polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) was prepared by the freezing-thawing cyclic method.The dehydration kinetics of prepared hydrogels was determined using the experimental method and mathematical modeling based on diffusion mechanism.The results show that the dehydration rate of PVA hydrogel wound dressing inversely depends on the hydrogel thickness as well as water content of the wound.On the other hand,the initial water content of hydrogel and the atmospheric humidity have little direct effect on the dehydration rate.The good agreement between experimental and mathematical modeling results in early stages of dehydration process shows that the predominate factor determining the dehydration of these wound dressings is diffusion.     

Synthesis and characterization of a new semi-interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel obtained by gamma radiations

A new polyacrylic acid/polyhydroxybutyrate semi-interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel, the s-IPN/PAA-PHB, was prepared by a gamma radiation-induced polymerization. Thermal behavior was studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), while the s-IPNs composition, FTIR spectra, and swelling kinetics were also determined. It was found that the DSC curve showed a melting point which is attributed to polyhydroxybutyrate. The TG curves showed various stages of degradation which are in correspondence of the presence of crosslinked polyacrylic acid and confirmed the higher thermal stability of the polymer network. The s-IPN/PAA-PHB composition was 10% of PHB and 90% of PAA. Moreover, the network reached approximately 600% of swelling in water, so it behaves like a superabsorbent hydrogel.     

Evaluation of network parameters and drug release behavior of gum acacia-crosslinked-carbopol hydrogel wound dressings

Present article discusses the synthesis, characterization, biodegradation, network parameter and drug release of gum acacia-crosslinked-carbopol hydrogel wound dressing. Polymers have been characterized by ¹³C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, elemental analysis, cryo-scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, differential thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry studies. Network parameters of hydrogel wound dressings such as polymer volume fraction in the swollen state φ, Flory–Huggins interaction parameter χ, molecular weight of the polymer chain between two neighboring cross links M_c, crosslink density ρ and the corresponding mesh size ξ have also been determined. Different in vitro release kinetic models (zero order, first order, Higuchi square root law, Korsmeyer-Peppas, and Hixson-Crowell cube root models) have been applied on the drug release profile. The release of antibiotic drug moxifloxacin from the drug loaded hydrogel matrix occurred through non-Fickian diffusion mechanism and release profile best fitted in the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. Semi-contact mode atomic force microscopic imaging showed that rough surface with root mean square roughness 82.868 nm of the polymer films.     

Slow release of wound healing drug from hydrogel wound dressing prepared by radiation crosslinking method

The hydrogel wound dressing was prepared by radiation crosslinking. It was used of on patients in the Navy 411 Hospital and some other hospitals. From sixty case studies of the clinical effects, the results showed that: 1. drug releasing slowly releives the pain effectively for prolonged period of application; 2. The dressing can reduce the oozing liquid from the wound and make the wound heal faster; 3. The number of the dressing change is greatly reduced. All the data indicates that the dressing is superior to the conventional kinds.     

Improvement of shelf stability and processing properties of meat products by gamma irradiation

To evaluate the effects of gamma irradiation on the processing properties of meat products, emulsion-type sausage, beef patties and pork loin ham were manufactured. Most contaminated bacteria were killed by 3 kGy-irradiation to raw ground beef, and sausage can be manufactured with desirable flavor, a reduction of NaCl and phosphate, and extension of shelf life using gamma irradiation on the raw meat. The beef patties were manufactured with the addition of antioxidants (200 ppm), BHA, ascorbyl palmitate, -tocopherol, or β-carotene, and gamma-irradiation. Retardation of lipid oxidation appeared at the patties with an antioxidant. A dose of 5 kGy was observed to be as effective as the use of 200 ppm NaNO₂ to provide and maintain the desired color of the product during storage. After curing, irradiation, heating and smoking could extensively prolong the shelf life of the hams.     

UV stability of HMS-PP (high melt strength polypropylene) obtained by radiation process

HMS-PP in grains was synthesized by the gamma irradiation of PP under a crosslinking atmosphere of acetylene, followed by thermal treatment for radical recombination and thermal treatment for annihilation of the remaining radicals. The UV stability of the material was evaluated in pellet form. The accelerated weathering test of HMS-PP samples were performed under artificial ultra-violet light and in a condensation chamber Comexim (C-UV type) apparatus with UV exposure for 120 and 240 h. The results were compared to those from ageing caused by sunlight and dew under natural exposition. This work investigated changes in mechanical proprieties (elongation and rupture strength), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), optical microscopy (MO), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and rheological properties of HMS-PP after the UV ageing. We find that the HMS-PP has more degradation than regular PP and undergoes predominate chain scission in aggressive UV ageing conditions.     

Synthesis of pectin-N,N-dimethyl acrylamide hydrogel by gamma radiation and application in drug delivery (in vitro)

The objective of the work is to synthesize pectin-N, N-Dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) hydrogel by gamma radiation without using any initiators and cross-linking agents. Effect of radiation doses on gel fraction and equilibrium swelling as a function of pH were studied, and 5 kGy radiation dose was found to be the optimum dose for hydrogel synthesis. The grafting /crosslinking was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Thermal properties and surface morphology were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy. To study the drug release kinetics, 5-fluorouracil was loaded into the hydrogel and in vitro release was carried out in simulated gastric and intestinal fluid. The release profile of drug showed that more than 90% of the loaded drugs were released after 4 hours at both gastric fluid and intestinal fluid pH. Drug release data was fitted into zero order, Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic models. Higuchi model was found to be the best fitted and release exponent ‘n’ value of Korsmeyer-Peppas model indicated the non-Fickian transport.     

Use of electron beam for the production of hydrogel dressings

The electron beam irradiation technique has been utilized to prepare hydrogel wound dressings. The composition of the dressings is based on polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and agar. Increasing the irradiation dose leads to an increase in the gel fraction; this increase is due to increased crosslink density. The gel fraction% decreases as the PEG concentration increases. The maximum swelling% decreases with increasing the irradiation dose, but increases with increasing the PEG concentration. This relationship can be utilized to modify the gel properties as gel fraction% and maximum swelling of the hydrogel. The prepared dressings could be considered as a good barrier against microbes.     

The effect of gamma radiation on the stability of miniature reference electrodes

The design and fabrication of four types of miniature reference electrodes and their long term stability in a radiation field are described. Miniature versions of a saturated calomel electrode (MSCE), a silver/silver chloride electrode (MAG), a tungsten/tungsten oxide (MWO) and a copper/copper ion (MCU) electrode were tested in a 10 kGy/h (1 Mrad/h) radiation field for up to 30 days total at 25 and 40 °C. The latter two (MWO and MCU) varied appreciably over time periods of several hours whereas the former two (MSCE and MAG) varied less than 1 mV over periods of 6–8 h and are deemed suitable as reference electrodes for corrosion studies of systems immersed in a radiation field at elevated temperature.     

Alteration of yeast activity by gamma radiation

Yeast is an important component in microbe based industrial technologies. Due to the techno-economic reasons, the fermentation technique has acquired renewed interest. The effect of -radiation on the fermentation reaction has been investigated. The studies show that exposure of the fermentation mixture to -radiation at 5 kGy enhance alcohol production, whereas irradiation at higher doses, viz., 10 kGy and 25 kGy caused a considerable reduction in the alcohol yield. Therefore, low dose irradiation of fermentation mixtures can be applied for increasing the alcohol production by about 25%.     

Intelligent drug delivery systems obtained by radiation

Radiation-induced polymerization of acryloyl-L-proline methyl ester, an -aminoacid-containing monomer, in the presence of a crosslinking agent and a hydrophilic monomer gave rise to polymer hydrogels whose water content at equilibrium was found to decrease as the swelling temperature increased. Some hydrogel samples were obtained with entrapped acetaminophen, an analgesic and antipyretic drug. It was ascertained that the release of the drug was controlled by both the hydrophilicity of the polymer matrices and the environmental temperature.     

Injectable and self-healing hydrogels with tissue adhesiveness and antibacterial activity as wound dressings for infected wound healing

The design of wound dressings with excellent self-healing ability, adequate adhesion, good biocompatibility, and potential antibacterial ability is of great significance for the healing of infected wounds arising from human activities. Herein, a series of multi-functional hydrogel dressings, poly(ionized isocyanoethyl methacrylate-glutamine)/poly(hexamethylene guanidine) (iG_x/PHMG_y) hydrogels, were obtained through homopolymerization of fully ionized isocyanoethyl methacrylate-glutamine (iIEM-Gln) in the presence of poly(hexamethylene guanidine) (PHMG), in which strong hydrogen bonds were formed among urea groups in the P (iIEM-Gln) chain to form a stable hydrogel network. The prepared iG_x/PHMG_y hydrogels exhibited adequate self-healing ability and tissue adhesion, which could be firmly adhered to the wound surface and remained intact during application. In addition, the presence of PHMG imparted good antibacterial activity to the hydrogels for the effective promotion of the wound healing in S. aureus infected skin wound on mice. Overall, this multi-functional hydrogel provides a facile and effective strategy for the design of infected wound dressings, and may show great potential in clinical applications.     

Thermal stability of solid solutions obtained by mechanical alloying

Summary The heats of ordering for mechanochemically synthesized nano-sized supersaturated solid solutions were demonstrated for Ni-In, Ni-Sn, Ni-Al, Cu-Sn, Cu-Hg systems. It is shown that increasing concentration of doping element leads to decreasing of decomposition temperature and to increasing of decomposition enthalpy. The concentration heterogeneity of doping elements in mechanochemically synthesized supersaturated solid solutions was found. The reactivity of alloys Cu 20 mass % Sn for commercial powder and MA powder was investigated.     

Convergent architecting of multifunction-in-one hydrogels as wound dressings for surgical anti-infections

Surgical procedures are susceptible to the cause of infections, which could induce delayed wound healing, oxidative stress and tissue ischemia. Multifunctional wound dressings (e.g., hydrogels) without the induction of antibiotics is promising for the elimination of surgical site infections and the associated complications. Herein, we report a reductionism approach for the fabrication of bioactive hydrogels to recapitulate antibacterial functions as well as antioxidant, pro-angiogenic and hemostatic properties in surgical infection treatments. The hydrogels composed of naturally derived Cirsium setosum extracts (CE, a traditional medicinal herb) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CS) show their capacity for surgical anti-infections on three different models (i.e., infectious random skin flap model, infectious skin defect model and infectious femur fracture model). Due to the innate bioactivities of CE and CS, CECS hydrogels can also reduce the bleeding loss (85% reduction) on a hemorrhaging liver model and improve the vascularization for skin flap regeneration. Overall, bioactive CECS hydrogels integrated with the ease and scalability of assembly process and biological activities without the addition of antibiotics is promising to act as multifunctional wound dressings for surgical anti-infections.     

The stability of poly(m-carborane-siloxane) elastomers exposed to heat and gamma radiation

Poly(m-carboranyl-siloxane) elastomers containing a mixture of di-methyl- and methylphenyl-silyl units were synthesised using the ferric chloride catalysed condensation reaction between di-chloro-diorganosilane and bis(di-methylmethoxysilyl)-m-carborane. These elastomeric materials were originally developed to have greater stability to extreme thermal environments and retain tailorable physical and chemical properties relative to comparable non-carborane containing elastomers. Prepared samples were aged either by heating in air at elevated temperatures or by gamma irradiation from a ⁶⁰Co source. Multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹B) solid and solution state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to assess degradation. This included measurements of segmental chain dynamics using a solid-echo pulse sequence reflecting changes in crosslink density and assessing changes to the carborane fragment by ¹¹B and ¹H Magic Angle Spinning (MAS) methods. Thermogravimetric measurements were also performed to assess thermal stability. Gamma radiation (to a dose of 1 MGy) was found to induce only a small degree of elastomer hardening as evidenced by a reduction in segmental chain dynamics. The carborane cage however, remained intact at these dose levels. Thermal degradation was observed to lead to oxidative crosslinking, the degree of which is dependent on temperature. At temperatures below 350 °C, only small changes in segmental dynamics were observed commensurate with only minor weight loss at this temperature. At temperatures above 350 °C, the degradation of the elastomer increased dramatically with decreased segmental dynamics and presumed partial oxidation of the carborane cage. The integrity of the m-carborane cage and the segmental dynamics were found to be significantly reduced at temperatures above 580 °C, in line with the known cage rearrangement temperature for icosahedral carboranes.     

Studies on the disposable obstetrical dressings sterilized by radiation and the effect of its application

In order to attain an optimum sterilization treatment to obstetric dressings, a new product made by us, with ⁶⁰Coγ-ray, the effects of radiation on standard bacteria pseudomonas aeruginosa ATcc27853, Escherichia coli ATcc25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATcc25923, Clostridium PB6KA, short Bacillus E60163202 and HBSAg were studied. Results showed that at the absorbed dose of 10 kGy, all the bacteria, bacillus and HBSAg were killed off, and sterilized with the dose, the dressings can completely accord with the demands of hygiene, which was further confirmed by microbiological and poisonous tests and the effects of clinical application. In Nov. 1988, the dressings was awarded the excellent prize in the 1st international exhibition of patent, new technique and new equipment in Guangzhou; its effective application is also reported in the paper.