Cotton-hydrogel composite for improved wound healing: antimicrobial activity and anti-inflammatory evaluation - part 2

Abstract

Infection is one of the major risk factors for the development of chronic wounds.Antimicrobial wound dressing has been pointed out as a viable option for the preven-tion and treatment of wound infections. Thus, we developed a composite materialbased on cotton textile substrates functionalized with cyclodextrin‐hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose‐based hydrogel. The composites' ability to encapsulate and releasegallic acid (antimicrobial phenolic acid) was evaluated, as well as their mechanicalproperties and antimicrobial and anti‐inflammatory capacity. All composites were ableto retain gallic acid in their structure, with similar loading profile. The presence of gal-lic acid on composites was confirmed by FTIR and TGA. Composites storage moduliwas reduced by the presence of gallic acid. The results suggest a straight relationbetween the swelling ability and gallic acid drug delivery profile. The drug deliverymechanism, of the developed composites, was mainly controlled by Fickian diffusion,based on the experimental data fitting to the Peppas‐Sahlin model. Gallic acid antimi-crobial and anti‐inflammatory properties were transferred to the composite materials.According to the results, the developed composites can be applied on the preventionor treatment of chronic wounds