An Antibacterial Hemostasis Sponge of Gelatin/ε‐Poly‐L‐Lysine Composite

ABSTRACT

Massive bleeding and bacterial infection of wounds may be life‐threatening or even lead to death. Nowadays, gelatin‐based hemostatic sponges have been widely used, but gelatin is not antibacterial and has poor structural stability. In this study, we mixed an antibacterial polypeptide, ε‐poly‐L‐lysine (EPL), into gelatin. A gelatin/ε‐poly‐L‐lysine (Gel/EPL) sponge with hemostatic and antibacterial functions was prepared by ultraviolet (UV) crosslinking lyophilized Gel/EPL composite. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the sponge had an interconnected porous structure. The incorporation of EPL increased the hydrophilicity and water absorption capacity of the Gel/EPL sponge. The sponge had better structural stability after UV crosslinking. The antibacterial assay showed that bacteria could not grow normally around the Gel/EPL sponge. The contact between blood components and the sponge initiated coagulation via exogenous pathway activation, and no hemolysis occurred. In addition, in vivo experiments confirmed that the sponge has a faster clotting time and lower blood loss. These findings show that the developed Gel/EPL sponge has great potential as a novel hemostatic agent that can quickly stop bleeding and fight bacterial infections.