# Development and Characterization of Effective Hemostatic Composites Based on Polyvinyl Alcohol/Kaolinite/Chitosan

## TL;DR

This study creates and tests a new hydrogel material that can safely stop bleeding and fight bacteria, showing potential for medical use.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the development of PVA/KAO/CS hydrogels with combined hemostatic and antibacterial properties.

## Key findings

- The hydrogels showed safe hemolytic activity and effective hemostatic performance.
- They exhibited antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
- The material prevented thermal denaturation of albumin and demonstrated good thermal stability.

## Abstract

In this study, hemolytically safe and antibacterial polyvinyl alcohol/kaolinite/chitosan (PVA/KAO/CS) hydrogels were obtained using the freeze–thaw method. The structure of the chemical bonds present in the developed hydrogels was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy study results showed the morphological and structural characteristics of the hydrogels’ surface. The thermal stability and phase transitions of the obtained hydrogel samples were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Porosity, swelling, gel fractions, and mechanical properties were also examined. Biomedical properties of the samples were evaluated using in vitro and in vivo tests such as hemolytic activity, inhibition of protein denaturation, antimicrobial activity, and hemostatic activity. The obtained hydrogels demonstrated safe hemolytic activity, pronounced hemostatic activity, the ability to prevent thermal denaturation of albumin, as well as antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ATCC BAA-39 and Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 19615 and Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 and Escherichia coli ATCC 8739. All the obtained characteristics confirmed the promising biomedical applications of the obtained hydrogels.