Gelatin-Alginate Surgical Sealant Loaded With Hemostatic Agents

Novel surgical sealants based on gelatin and alginate, crosslinked with carbodiimides, were developed and studied. Two types of hemostatic agents with a layer silicates structure, montmorillonite (MMT) and kaolin, were loaded in order to improve the sealing ability in a hemorrhagic environment. The effect of the sealant's components on the in vitro burst strength was studied according to ASTM F2392, the physical properties (swelling ratio, degradation, viscosity, curing time) and cytotoxicity were investigated as well. A certain formulation was found as an optimal one, combining high burst strength together with no cytotoxicity. Incorporation of kaolin only slightly affected the sealant physical properties. In contrast, incorporation of MMT significantly affected the crosslinked polymeric system. I.e., loading of 5 and 20 mg/ml MMT increase the in vitro burst strength in 43% and 108%, respectively. All studied formulations didn’t show any cytotoxic effect and their curing time was in the range of 5-10 seconds, which is suitable for surgical sealants. The incorporation of kaolin and MMT in gelatin-alginate surgical sealants is a very promising novel approach for improving the bonding strength and physical properties for use in hemorrhagic environments.