Wound healing potential of natural polymer: Chitosan “A wonder molecule”

Abstract

Natural polymers offer an unrivaled potential and are poised to become the next major commercial breakthrough in the arena of pharmaceutical industry, novel drug delivery, biotechnological and biomedical application in terms of product safety, cost-effectiveness, therapeutic value and eco-friendly nature. At this juncture, it is imperative to mention the application of natural polymers in wound healing which are of vital interest for research owing to its magnificent biocompatibility and therapeutic potential. Chitosan is an exclusively natural biopolymer comprising of two subunits, D-glucosamine (deacetylated) and N-acetyl-Dglucosamine (acetylated) linked via 1, 4-glycosidic bonds. It is one of the second most abundant natural polysaccharide and mainly obtained from the exoskeleton of crustaceans. Chitosan is an undisputed molecule of great potential and finds application in a variety of industries such as food, cosmetics, textiles, paper and pharmaceuticals due to its inherent properties such as non-toxic, non-irritant, mechanical stability, renewability, availability at low cost, ease of modification and low immunogenicity. Chitosan possesses structural characteristics similar to glycosamine glycans, used to develop tissue-engineered matrices and substratum to replace skin grafts. Electrostatic property of chitosan helps in stimulating collagen synthesis and fibroblast growth followed by initiation of early phase reaction pathways associated with accelerated wound healing process. It is extensively employed in the development of novel dressing material to assess its wound healing potential due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, antimicrobial, non-antigenic, film forming, tensile strength and hemostatic effect. Undoubtedly, Chitosan is a natural “wonder molecule” exploited in the commercial and biomedical fields due to its invincible characteristics and unique properties. This chapter aims to provide a brief insight into wound healing potential of chitosan along with its derivatives and conjugates. © 2019 Scrivener Publishing LLC.