Fabrication of pullulan-chitosan fiber membranes for enhanced hemostatic applications

Abstract

Pullulan-based fibers blended with chitosan (Chi) were developed using a rotational spinning method for potential biomedical applications. Aqueous precursor formulations containing 15 % by weight in pullulan and varying Chi concentrations (6 % and 7 %) were optimized to produce nanofibers at elevated temperatures and rotational speeds exceeding 7 k rpm. The highest fiber production yields of approximately 90 % and 65 % were achieved at 13 k rpm for the 6 % and 7 % Chi formulations, respectively. The pullulan-chitosan fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analyzer, powder X-ray diffraction, and rheological property measurements. Morphological analyses revealed nanometric fiber diameters and a decrease in bead formation with increasing rotational speeds. Thermal stability studies, conducted via thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses, showed that the composite fibers exhibited intermediate degradation behaviors between their individual polymer components, indicating good integration of Chi into the pullulan matrix. Elemental analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of Chi into the fibers, with nitrogen content closely matching theoretical predictions. Functional assessments demonstrated the hemocompatibility of the Pull-Chi fibers with hemolysis rates below 1 %. Additionally, the fibers exhibited superior hemostatic potential, effectively promoting blood clotting in vitro testing. These findings underscore the promise of Pull-Chi fibers as multifunctional biomaterials for applications in wound healing and tissue engineering. Future studies involving animal models are warranted to validate their clinical potential.