Fibers are elongated thick walled cells with pointed ends, cell walls of which may consist of cellulose and may or may not contain lignin Plant fibers Jute Flax Cotton Banana Hemp Animal fiber Silk wool Minerals Glass Asbestos Surgical dressings are the materials used alone or in combination for protection and healing of wound e.g. cotton, wool, rayon Official requirements of surgical dressings are as; They should be sterilized before use They should be stored in dry-ventilated place at temperature not exceeding 250c They should not be dyed unless mentioned in the monograph There should not be any loose threads fibres-ends in dressings They should be used with permitted prescribed concentrations only. Sutures Sutures are threads used for stiching the tissues like skin, muscles by using needle. Two types of sutures; Absorbable sutures: these are absorbed in the body E.g catgut, kangaroo tendon and some synthetic polymers Non-absorbable sutures: these are not absorbed by skin. E.g silk, nylon Requirements of sutures; They must be sterile and cause no irritation They should be stored in dry place They are intended for one use.

1. Plants fibre used as surgical
dressings
Archana Chavhan
M.Pharm (QA)
KYDSCT’S COLLEGE OF
PHARMACY, SAKEGAON

2. fibre
○ Fibers are elongated thick walled
cells with pointed ends, cell walls of
which may consist of cellulose and
may or may not contain lignin

3. Fibers
classified
according to
sources
A. Plant fibers
1. Jute
2. Flax
3. Cotton
4. Banana
5. Hemp

4. B. Animal fiber
1. Silk
2. wool

5. C. Minerals
1. Glass
2. Asbestos

6. Regenerated
and synthetic
fibres
1. Rayon
(artificial silk)
1. Nylon
2. Terylene
3. orlon

7. Surgical dressings
Surgical dressings are the materials used alone or in combination for
protection and healing of wound
e.g. cotton, wool, rayon
Official requirements of surgical dressings are as;
1. They should be sterilized before use
2. They should be stored in dry-ventilated place at temperature not
exceeding 250c
3. They should not be dyed unless mentioned in the monograph
4. There should not be any loose threads fibres-ends in dressings
5. They should be used with permitted prescribed concentrations only.

8. Sutures
Sutures are threads used for stiching the tissues like skin,
muscles by using needle.
Two types of sutures;
1. Absorbable sutures: these are absorbed in the body
E.g catgut, kangaroo tendon and some synthetic polymers
2. Non-absorbable sutures: these are not absorbed by skin.
E.g silk, nylon
Requirements of sutures;
• They must be sterile and cause no irritation
• They should be stored in dry place
• They are intended for one use.

9. Difference
between sutures
& ligatures
Sutures
1. These threads used for
stiching tissues like
skin, muscles
2. These are used with the
help of needle
3. Sutures are absorbable
4. Galen used silk sutures
for first time
Ligatures
1. These threads are used
to tie blood vessels,
veins, arteries
2. These are used without
using needles
3. Ligatures are non-
absorbable
4. Sushruta used ligatures
for first time to tie
umbilical cord during
surgery

10. COTTON
○ Synonyms: Raw cotton, purified cotton,
absorbent cotton.
○ Biological Source: Epidermal trichomes of
the seeds of cultivated species of
the Gossypium herbaceum belonging to family
Malvaceae.
○ Morphology:

11. Chemical Constituents:
• 90% of cellulose,
• 7–8% of moisture,
• wax, fat and oil 0.5% and
• cell content about 0.5%.
• Purified cotton has almost cellulose and 6–7% of
moisture.
Chemical Tests:
1.Fibre when treated with N/50 iodine solution & 80%
H2SO4 gives a blue stain
2.It does not give red stain with phloroglucinol and
hydrochloric acid;
3.Cotton is insoluble in dil. NaOh and HCL solution
4.Treated with zinc chloride solution and heat, fibre do
not dissolve

12. Uses :
1.Cotton is used as a filtering medium and
in surgical dressings.
2. Absorbent cotton absorbs blood, pus,
mucus, and prevents infections in
wounds.
3.It also used as insulating material

13. SILK
○ Biological Source: Fibres obtained from the cocoons
spun by the larvae Bombyx mori Linn., belonging to
family Bombycidae/Moraceae
○ Morphology:

14. Chemical Constituents:
1. Silk mainly consists of protein known as fibrion.
2. Fibroin is soluble in warm water and on hydrolysis yields two
main amino acids, glycine and alanine.
Chemical test:
1. When burned it smells like burned hairs
2. In concentrated HCL it dissolves
Uses:
1. Silk is used pharmaceutically in the preparation of sutures,
sieves, and ligatures.

15. WOOL
○ Biological Source: Wool consist of hairs from the
fleece of sheep Ovis aries Linn., belonging to family
Bovidae.
○ Chemical Constituents:
○ Wool mainly consists of a sulphur containing protein
called keratin. Keratin is composed of amino acid
like cystine.
○ Chemical Tests
1. Solubility test: It is easily soluble in warm alkali.
2. Wool when treated with Con. Hydrochloric acid, it
does not produce any effect but dissolves silk
3. When treated with cuoxam solution, it does not
dissolve but swells the wool and produces blue
colour.

16. Uses
1.It is used as a filtering aid
2.Used as straining medium and
3.in the manufacture of clothing
4.it is also used to absorb odors and noise
in heavy machinery and stereo speakers.

17. Regenerated cellulosic fibers are made from
cellulose that is extracted from wood pulp,
which is then chemically dissolved and
extruded as a continuous filament, which can
be cut into staple fibers.

18. Types of
regenerated
fibres
Viscose
Alginate
Nylon
Terylene
Orlon

19. Viscose
○ Synonyms: rayon
○ Source : Viscose is a viscous orange-red
aqueous solution of sodium cellulose
xanthogenate obtained by dissolving wood
pulp cellulose in sodium hydroxide solution
and treating with carbon disulphide.
○ Chemistry:
◦ Viscose rayon is a very pure form of
cellulose
◦ ts ash contains sulphur.

20. Chemical
Tests
○ On ignition they behave like cotton; distinction from
acetate rayon and alginate yarn, wool, silk, nylon, and
glass.
○ With N/50 iodine and sulphuric acid, 80%, they give a
blue color similar to that given by cotton; distinction
from acetate rayon, alginate yarn, jute, hemp, wool,
silk, and nylon.
○ Warm (40°C) hydrochloric acid does not dissolve the
fibre; distinction from acetate rayon, silk, and nylon.
○ It is insoluble in boiling potassium hydroxide solution
(5%); distinction from oxidized cellulose, wool, and
silk

21. Uses
○ Viscose rayon is used to manufacture
fabrics,
○ surgical dressings,
○ absorbent wool,
○ enzyme,
○ and cellophane.

22. Alginate
○ Alginate fibers are composed of calcium
alginate.
○ Chemical Tests
◦ In ammoniacal copper nitrate solution
they swell and dissolve.
◦ The fibres are insoluble in 60% w/w
sulphuric acid.
◦ The fibres are soluble in 5% sodium
citrate solution.

23. Nylon
○ Nylon is a synthetic thermoplastic polymer
○ Uses
◦ Nylon still remains an important plastic and not
just for use in fabrics.
◦ In its bulk form, it is very wear-resistant and so is
used to build gears, bearings, bushings, and other
mechanical parts.