Dried fruit of the Luffa sponge as a source of chitin for applications as skin substitutes

Biomed Res Int. 2014:2014:458287. doi: 10.1155/2014/458287. Epub 2014 Apr 9.

Abstract

LUFFACHITIN obtained from the residue of the sponge-like dried fruit of Luffa aegyptiaca was developed as a weavable skin substitute in this study. A chemical analysis revealed that LUFFACHITIN was composed of a copolymer containing N-acetyl-glucosamine (~40%) as a major monomer with a filamentary structure as demonstrated by both optical and scanning electron microscopy. The pulp-like white residue of the sponge-like dried fruit of Luffa aegyptiaca after treatment was then woven into a thin, porous membrane by filtration and lyophilization as a skin substitute for conducting wound-healing study on rats. The results indicated that the LUFFACHITIN membrane showed significant wound-healing enhancement (25 days to complete healing) compared to cotton gauze (>30 days), but not inferior to that of SACCHACHITIN. Furthermore, the LUFFACHITIN membrane had advantages of having a high yield, better physical properties for fabrication, and a more attractive appearance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chitin / chemistry*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Chromatography, Thin Layer
  • Fruit / chemistry*
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Luffa / chemistry*
  • Rats
  • Skin, Artificial*
  • Wound Healing

Substances

  • Chitin