① pain reduction, ② drying prevention, ③ prevention of bacterial growth, ④
protein and red blood cell loss prevention, ⑤ protection of exposed tendons, blood
vessels, and nerves, and ⑥ promotion of wound healing. Another requirement is
cladding materials of the wound’s surface should be simple, affordable, and
amenable to mass-production. These wound dressings exist in synthetic and living
types. Synthetic dressings react strongly to foreign matter and subject to issues with
biocompatibility and usage limitations. The skins of pigs, sheep, and dogs have
long been used as live dressings.
Live pig skin was used in extremely rare cases, but its practicality was low.
Chicken egg membranes and the human amnion (the thin membrane encasing a fetus
in the womb) have proven similarly unusable. Other options included processed
freeze-dried pig skin and collagen, which are currently in limited use. In contrast,
artificial skin made with chitin taken from crab shells may be seen as compensating
amply for these deficiencies as a wound protection agent (Kim 2018).
C. Making Artificial Skin
The first study to suggest the potential for chitin as a medical material may be
potentially useful in making artificial skin. Examining the role of ground shark
cartilage ointment in fast wound recovery, the researchers were examining which
components of the cartilage contributed to the effect when they implicated an
ingredient called N-acetylglucosamine. Based on the fact that chitin was a constituent of N-acetylglucosamine, they examined its relationship with the healing of
cuts in animal experiments using a powdered version. Wounds to which chitin
powder were applied were found to close faster than a control group to which it was
not (Burke et al. 1981).
The researchers went on to report findings from an examination of effects with
thread and film forms. Due to shaping method inadequacies, they did not succeed in
practical application, and the research was halted midway through. The central
institute at Japan’s Unitika subsequently began researching methods of producing
chitin molds and succeeded in creating high-quality products that could be used for
medical purposes.
At the same time, animal studies and clinic research were being conducted in
various fields by researchers at healthcare research institutions around the country
who were interested in the material. Some fascinating findings were produced as a
result, one of which was the development of a product called Beschitin W, which
could be used as artificial skin in the broad sense of wound surface protection.
Beschitin W is manufacturing according to the following steps. Chitin is a
mucopolysaccharide formed by b-1,4 bonding of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, only
with the hydroxyl group of the fibrin’s glucose residuereplaced by an aminoacetyl
group. For manufacturing, the outer framework from a crustacean (such as a crab or
shrimp) is used. Calcium and proteins are removed to obtain a highly refined chitin
powder with less than 0.2% ash content (Kumar 2000). Following treatment to
increase solvency, the powder is dissolved with amide solvent to produce a chitin
solution with a concentration of around 10%.
8.3 Bio Materials
263
protein and red blood cell loss prevention, ⑤ protection of exposed tendons, blood
vessels, and nerves, and ⑥ promotion of wound healing. Another requirement is
cladding materials of the wound’s surface should be simple, affordable, and
amenable to mass-production. These wound dressings exist in synthetic and living
types. Synthetic dressings react strongly to foreign matter and subject to issues with
biocompatibility and usage limitations. The skins of pigs, sheep, and dogs have
long been used as live dressings.
Live pig skin was used in extremely rare cases, but its practicality was low.
Chicken egg membranes and the human amnion (the thin membrane encasing a fetus
in the womb) have proven similarly unusable. Other options included processed
freeze-dried pig skin and collagen, which are currently in limited use. In contrast,
artificial skin made with chitin taken from crab shells may be seen as compensating
amply for these deficiencies as a wound protection agent (Kim 2018).
C. Making Artificial Skin
The first study to suggest the potential for chitin as a medical material may be
potentially useful in making artificial skin. Examining the role of ground shark
cartilage ointment in fast wound recovery, the researchers were examining which
components of the cartilage contributed to the effect when they implicated an
ingredient called N-acetylglucosamine. Based on the fact that chitin was a constituent of N-acetylglucosamine, they examined its relationship with the healing of
cuts in animal experiments using a powdered version. Wounds to which chitin
powder were applied were found to close faster than a control group to which it was
not (Burke et al. 1981).
The researchers went on to report findings from an examination of effects with
thread and film forms. Due to shaping method inadequacies, they did not succeed in
practical application, and the research was halted midway through. The central
institute at Japan’s Unitika subsequently began researching methods of producing
chitin molds and succeeded in creating high-quality products that could be used for
medical purposes.
At the same time, animal studies and clinic research were being conducted in
various fields by researchers at healthcare research institutions around the country
who were interested in the material. Some fascinating findings were produced as a
result, one of which was the development of a product called Beschitin W, which
could be used as artificial skin in the broad sense of wound surface protection.
Beschitin W is manufacturing according to the following steps. Chitin is a
mucopolysaccharide formed by b-1,4 bonding of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, only
with the hydroxyl group of the fibrin’s glucose residuereplaced by an aminoacetyl
group. For manufacturing, the outer framework from a crustacean (such as a crab or
shrimp) is used. Calcium and proteins are removed to obtain a highly refined chitin
powder with less than 0.2% ash content (Kumar 2000). Following treatment to
increase solvency, the powder is dissolved with amide solvent to produce a chitin
solution with a concentration of around 10%.
8.3 Bio Materials
263