Fibres, a process for producing such fibres and a wound dressing incorporating them

Abstract

Multi component fibres for the reduction of the damaging activity of wound exudate components such as protein degrading enzymes and inflammatory mediators in wounds, the fibres comprising: from 10% to 100% by weight of the fibres of pectin and a sacrificial proteinaceous material in a weight ratio of 100:0 to 10:90 pectin to sacrificial proteinaceous material and from 0% to 90% by weight of the fibres of another polysaccharide or a water soluble polymer.

1 . Multi component fibres for the reduction of the damaging activity of wound exudate components such as protein degrading enzymes and inflammatory mediators in wounds, the fibres comprising:
 from 10% to 100% by weight of the fibres of pectin and a sacrificial proteinaceous material in a weight ratio of 80:20 to 60:40 pectin to sacrificial proteinaceous material and   from 0% to 90% by weight of the fibres of another polysaccharide or a water soluble polymer.   
     
     
         2 . Multi component fibres as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the fibres comprise 75% to 100% by weight of the fibres of pectin and a sacrificial proteinaceous material in a weight ratio of 80:20 to 60:40 pectin to sacrificial proteinaceous material. 
     
     
         3 . Multi component fibres as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the fibres comprise 90% to 100% by weight of the fibres of pectin and a sacrificial proteinaceous material in a weight ratio of 80:20 to 60:40 pectin to sacrificial proteinaceous material 
     
     
         4 . Multi component fibre as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the weight ratio of pectin to sacrificial proteinaceous material in the fibres is 70:30. 
     
     
         5 . A wound dressing comprising multi component pectin fibres for use in the reduction of the damaging activity of wound exudate components such as protein degrading enzymes and inflammatory mediators in wounds. 
     
     
         6 . A wound dressing comprising multi component fibres for the reduction of the damaging activity of wound exudate components such as protein degrading enzymes and inflammatory mediators in wounds, the fibres comprising:
 from 10% to 100% by weight of the fibres of pectin and a sacrificial proteinaceous material in a weight ratio of 80:20 to 60:40 pectin to sacrificial proteinaceous material and   from 0% to 90% by weight of the fibres of another polysaccharide or a water soluble polymer.   
     
     
         7 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the dressing comprises from 10% to 100% by weight of multi component pectin fibres with 0% to 90% by weight of another gel forming fibre. 
     
     
         8 . Multi component pectin fibres capable of reducing the level of damaging enzyme activity by at least 25% when measured by the MMP method as described in Example 2 at T=0 or the elastase assay method as described in Example 9 at T=0. 
     
     
         9 . A method of preparing multi component pectin fibres comprising the following steps:
 (i) adding pectin and a sacrificial proteinaceous material to water to form a dope;   (ii) forcing the dope through a spinneret;   (iii) crosslinking with a source of ions to form fibres and   (iv) drying the fibres.   
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the sacrificial proteinaceous material is gelatin. 
     
     
         11 . A method of preparing multi component pectin fibres comprising the following steps:
 (i) adding pectin and a sacrificial proteinaceous material to water to form a dope;   (ii) forcing the dope through a spinneret while inducing a voltage between the spinneret and a collector plate in a temperature controlled environment.