The study was aimed to evaluate the effect ofchitosan sheets on wound healing process and
its activity as a wound dressing materials. Accordingly chitosan sheet was isolated and prepared
from the exoskeleton of the native shrimps in Basrah Province. Twenty-four male rabbits were
used and two full-thickness circular cuts (2cm in diameter) were made on the dorsal aspect of
each rabbit. The healing process was evaluated macroscopically by evaluation of the properties of
chitosan sheets on wound in terms of (adherence, absorption, and fluid accumulation) on different
intervals (i.e.lSt,3’d,7‘h,and 15"‘ post wounding day). On the other hand the contraction rate in tested
liand control wounds were evaluated during different intervals (i.e. at lS‘,3' ,7‘ ,and I5“ post wounding
day).The healing process was evaluated microscopically in terms of (infiltration of neutrophils and
macrophage infiltration, new blood vessels and fibroblast proliferation and Re—epithelialization).
. The result of macroscopic evaluation showed that chitosan sheets were firmly adherent to
' . the wound with underlying mild fluid accumulation during the first three post wounding day. At
, the same time the sheets started to disappear and completely absorbed at 7' day after wound
breation. The result of the effect of the chitosan sheet on wound contraction demonstrated that the
bontraction rate of tested wounds was significantly higher than in control wounds through the
lperiod of experiment. In the treated group complete wound closure with contraction rate of 100%
was reached at 103‘ post wounding day while the control wounds failed to close completely till the
’ lend of experiment at 15‘ day. The results of microscopic evaluation of wound healing process were
demonstrated significant increase (p<0.05) infiltration of neutrophils in test wound at the first post
‘wounding day then decrease and completely disappear while persist in control wound. Infiltration
of macrophages significantly increased (p<0.05) in tested wound during the period of experiment.
§The fibrovascular granulation tissue and Re-epithelialization significantly more obvious in tested
iwound than in control wound through the period of experiment (p<0.050).