Medical and pharmaceutical application of oxidized cellulose

Abstract

Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer and versatile starting material for chemical modification for obtaining products with various applications. The oxidation of cellulose results in derivatives with improved properties, including the products with new, specific features that can be used for medical and pharmaceutical purposes. Due to its biocompatibility and biodegradibility, the oxidized cellulose (6-carboxycellulose) is widely used as a hemostatic agent, as a barrier for the prevention of postsurgical adhesion, in bandage products for covering different wounds, as an excipient in the production of tablets, various gels and pharmaceutical suspensions. In addition to these applications, the oxidized cellulose may be used for the production of surgical sutures, as a drug carrier in products with gradual/controlled release, and as a material in tissue engineering.