Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences

Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences

A chitosan-based spray for localized tranexamic acid delivery: Formulation development and enhanced hemostatic control

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Emad Mollayy 1
Gholamreza Karimi 2, 3
Mahdi Mashhadi Akbar Boojar 4
Maryam Iman 1
1 Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
3 Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
4 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
10.22038/ijbms.2026.98291.21144
Abstract
Objective(s): Topical tranexamic acid (TXA) can provide localized antifibrinolytic activity, but rapid drug clearance from bleeding surfaces may limit its effectiveness. Chitosan offers complementary hemostatic properties and may improve local drug retention due to its well-documented mucoadhesive properties. Although previous studies have explored TXA-loaded chitosan-based particulate hemostats, translating this concept into a sprayable, dose-reproducible, bio-adhesive topical delivery system remains insufficiently characterized.
Materials and Methods: A chitosan-based TXA spray was developed as a translational topical delivery platform and characterized for appearance, pH, rheological behavior, spray pattern, dose uniformity, TXA content, and short-term stability. In vivo hemostatic efficacy was evaluated in a standardized rat tail-incision model. Animals received purified water, topical TXA, or the TXA-chitosan spray (n=6/group). Time to hemostasis and blood loss were measured.
Results: The optimized formulation showed a homogeneous appearance and a pH of 6.36±0.01. Apparent viscosity decreased from 40.5±0.3 to 21.8±0.2 mPa·s as rotational speed increased, indicating shear-thinning behavior. Spray delivery was highly reproducible, with 118.7±0.4 mg delivered per actuation and 0.34% relative standard deviation. TXA content remained 98.2% of the initial value after 30 days at 25±2°C. Both TXA and TXA-chitosan significantly reduced bleeding time versus control (P≤0.005). Notably, the TXA-chitosan spray reduced blood loss to 16.3±3.9 mg versus 33.2±5.7 mg with TXA alone (P=0.02).
Conclusion: The developed spray provides reproducible topical delivery and substantially enhanced blood-loss control compared with TXA alone, supporting its further development as a localized hemostatic platform.

Graphical Abstract

A chitosan-based spray for localized tranexamic acid delivery: Formulation development and enhanced hemostatic control
Keywords
Chitosan
Drug delivery systems
Hemostatics
Hemorrhage
Tranexamic acid
Subjects
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Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences
Volume 29, Issue 12
December 2026
Pages 1961-1970