A Novel Chitosan-based Sponge Coated with Self-assembled Thrombin/Tannic Acid Multilayer Films as a Hemostatic Dressing

In order to prepare a novel hemostatic dressing for uncontrolled hemorrhage, a porous chitosan sponge was coated with self-assembled(thrombin/tannic acid)n films, which were based on hydrogen bonding interactions between thrombin and tannic acid at physiologic p H. According to the whole blood clotting test, the coated chitosan sponges showed a significantly high rate of blood clotting due to the addition of thrombin. On the other hand, the storable half-life of immobilized thrombin is extended to 66.9 days at room temperature, which is 8.5 times longer than unfixed thrombin. It is because of the immobilization effect of, not only the porous structure of chitosan sponge but also the interactions between thrombin and tannic acid. In addition, the tannic acid has similar antibacterial effect to chitosan. Therefore, it is an excellent combination of chitosan, thrombin and tannic acid. Besides, all of materials in this research have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration(FDA). So the chitosan-based sponge is a promising candidate dressing for uncontrolled hemorrhage due to its storable, bio-safe and highly effective hemostatic properties.