In News: Biomaterial from fungal extract helps heal wounds
Pullulan polymer
The biomaterial is derived from the polymer pullulan which is secreted by the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans.
It is an exopolysaccharide, that is, this polymer is secreted by the fungus itself into the medium on which it is growing.
Pullulan as a biomaterial is already successful and widely used commercially.
It is exploited in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry because of its non-toxic, non-mutagenic and non-immunogenic properties.
In the biomedicine sector, it has been used for drug and gene delivery
Disinfecting the wounds and hastening the process of healing
Pullulan is basically a polymeric chain of glucose by keeping the biocompatible carbohydrate backbone of the polymer intact and adding some quaternary ammonium groups, make the polymer positively charged
They process the polymer to get a powder which is water-soluble. This solution can be applied on the wound surface and then covered with sterile gauze. This can also be used in a gel form.
With this gel the wounds can be disinfected and also healed faster.
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