Antibacterial and hemostatic performance of chitosan–organic rectorite/alginate composite sponge

This study reports the preparation and properties of a chitosan (CS)–organic rectorite (OREC)/sodium alginate (SA) composite sponge. The novel sponge was fabricated by solution intercalation and chemical cross-linking techniques. The structure and composition of the CS/SA and CS–OREC/SA composite sponges were characterized by FE-SEM, FT-IR, XRD and EDX. The results showed that the polyelectrolyte with a highly cross-linked structure and uniform pore distribution could be obtained by mixing CS and SA with or without the addition of OREC into them. Besides, the low cytotoxicity and excellent antibacterial efficacy of the prepared CS/SA and CS–OREC/SA sponges were demonstrated by an MTT assay and an antibacterial assay. Moreover, the results of the hemostatic tests on ear-artery, ear-vein and liver injuries of rabbits showed that the addition of OREC into the CS/SA composite sponge significantly improved the hemostatic efficiency of the as-prepared sponge without compromising the biocompatibility and antibacterial property of CS. This study indicated that the CS–OREC/SA composite sponge had the potential to be a potent hemostat for controlling wound infection and bleeding in medical fields.