The synthesis and characterization of hydrogel chitosan-alginate with the addition of plasticizer lauric acid for wound dressing application

The writers conducted a study about the synthesis and characterization of hydrogel chitosan-alginate by addition plasticizer lauric acid for wound dressing application. The purpose was to find out the impact of lauric acid concentration variation on hydrogel chitosanalginate to get the best mechanical and physical properties to be applied as wound dressing in accordance with existing standards. This study used commercially chitosan from extract of shells crab, commercially-available alginate from the extract of sargassum sp, and commercial lauric acid from palm starch. The addition of lauric acid was aimed to repair mechanical properties of hydrogel. The composition of chitosan-alginate is 4: 1 (v/v), while the lauric acid concentration variations are 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% w/v. The characterization of mechanical properties test (Tensile strength and Elongation at break) at hydrogel showed the hydrogel chitosan-alginate-lauric acid have the characteristic which meets the standard of mechanical properties for human skin. The best performance of hydrogel chitosan-alginatelauric acid was obtained by increasing luric acid concentration by 4%, which has a thickness value of 125.46 +/- 0.63 mu m, elongation 28.89 +/- 1.01 %, tensile strength (9.01 +/- 0.65) MPa, and ability to absorb liquids (601.45 +/- 1.24) %.