Preparation and Characterization of Hydrocolloid Biopolymer-Based Films for Dressing Applications

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Abstract
In this study three types of dressings in the form of thin films were prepared from a mixture of two natural biopolymers, namely gelatin and pectin. The protein and the polysaccharide were chosen because of their hydrosolubility and interactivity, respectively. Glutaraldehyde was also used to crosslink the films. The physical properties of the resulting films were evaluated through measurements of absorption capacity and water vapor permeability. FTIR and UV spectroscopy were also used to characterize the films. It was found that crosslinking much increased the absorption capacity, reflecting the strong interactions that developed between gelatin and pectin. It was also found that the water vapor permeability depends greatly on the film thickness and evolves linearly with time. The FTIR analysis also allowed us to identify the different functional groups through which gelatin and pectin chemically interacted. The quantitative analysis of the residue by means of UV spectroscopy indicated that the films were biodegradable and therefore can be used for biomedical applications.