Publication

Abstract : Chitosan is a biopolymer which is non-toxic, biocompatible and biodegradable and it is harvested from chitin by deacetylation process in the presence of a strong base. When it exists in the solution form, mucoadhesive property is observed due to the cationic nature of the polymer. The favourable characteristics and the flexibility in development process of chitosan, enables it to find a wide range of application in the biomedical field by existing in various forms such as hydrogels,scaffolds, membranes, sponges, fibres, nanoparticles, microparticles, beads, etc. Over the past decade, chitosan based hydrogels have gained much attention owing to the similarity with that of the native extra-cellular matrix. However, modifying these hydrogels using different methods is also of utmost importance, so as to tailor their structural property which satisfies the needs of various biomedical applications. This review contributes in giving a brief insight about the various methods that are employed in preparation of these hydrogels and the associated structural changes as well as the use of these chitosan hydrogel in drug delivery, haemostasis, tissue engineering and wound healing area.