Composite Aerogel Materials with Hemostatic Effect Based on Alginate and Chitosan

Objective: Composite aerogel materials based on the complex of alginate and chitosan with the introduction of active additives (magnetite and vaterite) were obtained and their consumer properties were studied to assess the possibility of using them as hemostatic materials. Methods: A texture analyzer and scanning electron microscopy were used to determine the structure of the prepared samples. To assess the possibility of using the materials in medicine, an antimicrobial activity test was conducted. The in vivo experiments were performed to study the cessation rate of bleeding. Results and Discussion: It was shown that the developed materials are characterized by a developed micro-mesoporous structure, which provides a high moisture absorption capacity in relation to a saline solution that simulates the pH of warm-blooded animals. The maximum absorbency was 67 and 43 g/g for the material containing vaterite and magnetite, respectively, due to differences in the porous structure of the samples. The results of testing the antimicrobial activity of the materials confirmed the possibility of their use for biomedical purposes. The antibacterial activity of the materials against the microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis is most pronounced, the diameters of the growth suppression zones of which reached 24 ± 0.2 and 20 ± 0.2 mm. A comparative analysis of the hemostatic activity of the developed materials in an in vivo experiment showed that the developed materials are characterized by a high rate of cessation of bleeding compared to a cotton swab: the blood clotting time in the experimental group for a material containing vaterite and magnetite was 32.64 and 49.61 s, respectively, which is 1.3–2 times less than in the control group. Conclusions: The performed studies have shown that composite aerogel materials based on a complex of sodium alginate and chitosan with the introduction of active additives (magnetite and vaterite) can compete seriously both on the international and Russian market of hemostatic drugs and medical devices.