Optimization Concentration of Irgacure® 2959 as Photo-initiator on Chitosan-Kappa-Carrageenan Based Hydrogel for Tissue Sealant.

Hydrogel is a three-dimensional network of hydrophilic polymers widely used in the biomedical field, one of which is a tissue sealant. The material that can be used in the manufacture of hydrogels is chitosan. The ability of chitosan in the formation of hydrogel is still limited by its swelling and adhesive properties, so it requires other materials such as crosslinkers, one of which is kappa-carrageenan which can stabilize and increase the viscosity of the hydrogel. The addition of Irgacure® 2959 as a photo-initiator to the hydrogel can produce free radicals that can bind to the active group of the polymer. This study aims to determine the effect of adding Irgacure® 2959 in the manufacture of hydrogel based on a chitosan-kappa-carrageenan solution formulated as a colon tissue adhesive. The treatments given were the addition of Irgacure® 2959 as much as 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%. The characteristics of the hydrogel tested qualitatively (simulation adhesion test), degree of swelling, resistance to water, degree of crystallinity, and ability to inhibit bacterial growth. The addition of Irgacure® 2959 did not show significantly different results from the control that indicating it cannot increase the crosslinking between chitosan and kappa-carrageenan. This is predicted due to the presence of steric hindrance from kappa-carrageenan, causing very limited crosslinking due to the molecular size difference between chitosan and kappa-carrageenan. Further, it is necessary to optimize the ratio of the chitosan and kappa-carrageenan to get the balance ratio that supports the occurrence of cross-linking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]