EFFECT OF CHITOSAN SHEETS ON WOUND HEALING

The study was aimed to evaluate the effect ofchitosan sheets on wound healing process and its activity as a wound dressing materials. Accordingly chitosan sheet was isolated and prepared from the exoskeleton of the native shrimps in Basrah Province. Twenty-four male rabbits were used and two full-thickness circular cuts (2cm in diameter) were made on the dorsal aspect of each rabbit. The healing process was evaluated macroscopically by evaluation of the properties of chitosan sheets on wound in terms of (adherence, absorption, and fluid accumulation) on different intervals (i.e.lSt,3’d,7‘h,and 15"‘ post wounding day). On the other hand the contraction rate in tested liand control wounds were evaluated during different intervals (i.e. at lS‘,3' ,7‘ ,and I5“ post wounding day).The healing process was evaluated microscopically in terms of (infiltration of neutrophils and macrophage infiltration, new blood vessels and fibroblast proliferation and Re—epithelialization). . The result of macroscopic evaluation showed that chitosan sheets were firmly adherent to ' . the wound with underlying mild fluid accumulation during the first three post wounding day. At , the same time the sheets started to disappear and completely absorbed at 7' day after wound breation. The result of the effect of the chitosan sheet on wound contraction demonstrated that the bontraction rate of tested wounds was significantly higher than in control wounds through the lperiod of experiment. In the treated group complete wound closure with contraction rate of 100% was reached at 103‘ post wounding day while the control wounds failed to close completely till the ’ lend of experiment at 15‘ day. The results of microscopic evaluation of wound healing process were demonstrated significant increase (p