Preparation, biocompatibility, and wound healing effects of O-carboxymethyl chitosan nonwoven fabrics in partial-thickness burn model

This study was aimed at preparing O-carboxymethyl chitosan (CM-CTS) fabrics, and examining the wound healing effects on partial-thickness burn. The functional polysaccharides were produced from chitosan needle-punched nonwovens reacted with chloroacetic acid. Then the biocompatibility and biological functions were evaluated through fibroblast L-929 and SD rats. CM-CTS fabrics were obtained with elongation at break more than 42%, tensile strength reaching 0.65 N/mm2, and water vapor transmission rate about 2600 g/m2∙24 h. Moreover, CM-CTS fabrics could effectively promote the mouse L-929 migration in vitro. CM-CTS fabrics yielded satisfactory results in angiogenesis, collagen deposition, interleukin-6 content, transforming growth factor level and healing rate, which were superior to the positive control and model groups after rats suffering with partial-thickness burn. In conclusion, CM-CTS fabrics possessed proper mechanical properties, air permeability, favorable biocompatibility, acceleration on fibroblasts migration and healing capacity for partial-thickness burn injury, and owned good potential as high-quality wound dressing. •Carboxymethyl chitosan (CM-CTS) fabrics were prepared from chitosan nonwovens.•CM-CTS fabrics effectively promoted the 2D & 3D migration of fibroblast L-929 cells.•CM-CTS fabric accelerated angiogenesis and new collagen deposition in scalded rats.•Wound healing rate of CM-CTS fabric group was superior to control (95.21% vs 84.27%).