Comparative study of the primary hemostatic activities of chitosan and cellulose derivatives.

Abstract

The study determined which among the chitosan and cellulose derivatives was the most effective in promoting primary hemostasis. This was determined by measuring the absorbance values of the released lactate dehydrogenase enzyme of the platelets that have adhered to the different chitosan and cellulose derivatives with the use of CytoTox96® Non-Radioactive Cytotoxicity Assay. It was found that Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) freeze dried for 4 and 24 hours have the highest absorbance values and were more effective than the control and other treatments. Among CMC (4 hours) and CMC (24 hours), CMC freeze dried for 24 hours was more effective. The efficacy of the hemostat is attributed to its hydrophilicity and cationic nature. The addition of chitosan also reduced the efficacy of CMC because of its ability to reduce CMC’s hydrophilicity.