An alternative suture material synthesized from chitosan based marine invertebrates

Chitosan, derived from chitin found in crustacean shells, is one of the most abundant biopolymers. Chitosan is important for biomedical material including drug delivery and hydrogels, and has antimicrobial and biodegradable properties. Historically, Atlantic horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) chitosan has been used to develop biomedical materials due to its pure chitin. Harvesting regulations have increased, however, and horseshoe crabs may eventually no longer be a viable resource for chitosan. European green crabs (Carcinus maenas), an invasive and abundant species, were used to develop alternative suture materials. These novel sutures were hypothesized to be a durable, cost-effective, and sustainable material. Horseshoe crab (HC) sutures were also developed and food grade chitosan sutures were a control used for comparison. Chitosan was extracted from the shells through demineralization, deproteinization, and deacetylation using sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid at novel ratios. The chitosan yield was determined. Extracted chitosan was dissolved in acetic acid and extruded into a coagulation bath to produce suture material. The suture tensile strength, antimicrobial activity, and characteristics of GC, HC and control sutures were compared by using the Coliscan bacterial method, protein composition assay, and X-ray fluorescence. Cost analysis was performed to determine the production cost. GC sutures were determined to be the strongest, most viable, and cost-effective material, serving as a sustainable alternative to synthetic sutures.