TERHRAN (INIC)- Iranian researchers at Amir Kabir University of Technology have recently come up with a novel wound cover which maintains skin beauty during healing process and repairs it.

Due to the application of a special polymer named Chitosan, which is actually a hydrogel, and porosity in the 3D network structure (a chaotic arrangement of nanofibers) of the wound cover, it gets swollen as it absorbs liquids. In this way the wound surface would remain slightly wet facilitating oxygen transfer to the wound which in turn shortens healing time and maintains beauty.

“First, polymer solutions (a mixture of Chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol) at various ratios were prepared. Next, electro-spinning method was applied to produce nanofibers whose morphological studies were later conducted with the help of FTIR, DSC and SEM tests. In addition, biological tests (microbe and cell cultivation) were also conducted upon the samples to investigate their antibacterial behavior and biocompatibility,” Adeleh Gholipour Kanaani, a member of the research group, said to the News Service of INIC.

"In this research, we took advantage of the natural and biocompatible polymer Chitosan. Antibacterial activity against infections caused by bacteria, facilitated oxygen transfer to the wound surface and moisture absorption is among superiorities of this wound cover which all together guarantee rapid healing as well as beauty care,” She underscored.

More details on this research work are available at the Journal of e-polymers, volume 133, pages1 to 12, 2009.