The development of novel cutaneous wound treatments particularly for burns is of paramount importance due to complex pathophysiology, prevalent infection and clinical complexities associated with burn care.The main focus of the current study was to investigate the in vivo burn wound healing potential of bacterial cellulose (BC) and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanocomposites (BC-TiO 2 ). The physicochemical characterization of BC-TiO 2 was carried out using FE-SEM, XRD and FT-IR. The antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposite was tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus through agar disc diffusion protocol. The in vivo wound healing efficacy was evaluated in burn wound model through wound area measurement, percent contraction and histopathology. The characterization results confirmed the successful incorporation of TiO 2 nanoparticles into BC. The nanocomposites exhibited 81 AE 0.4% and 83 AE 0% inhibition against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. The composite bandage showed good healing pattern with 71 AE 2.41% wound contraction. Histopathological evidence like the formation of healthy granulation tissue and the re-epithelization indicated the healing progression in the composite treated group. In comparison, the BC treated group has partial epithelization and signs of inflammation. These results proved that the composite dressing possesses an excellent healing potential with faster re-epithelization rate and accelerated wound contraction ability and thus could be a candidate for the development of cutaneous wound care products to address the limitations of the conventional wound dressing for burns.
The current study aimed to fabricate curcumin-loaded bacterial cellulose (BC-Cur) nanocomposite as a potential wound dressing for partial thickness burns by utilizing the therapeutic features of curcumin and unique structural, physico-chemical, and biological features of bacterial cellulose (BC). Characterization analyses confirmed the successful impregnation of curcumin into the BC matrix. Biocompatibility studies showed the better attachment and proliferation of fibroblast cells on the BC-Cur nanocomposite. The antibacterial potential of curcumin was tested against Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium), and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Wound healing analysis of partial-thickness burns in Balb c mice showed an accelerated wound closure up to 64.25% after 15 days in the BC-Cur nanocomposite treated group. Histological studies showed healthy granulation tissues, fine re-epithelialization, vascularization, and resurfacing of wound bed in the BC-Cur nanocomposite group. These results indicate that combining BC with curcumin significantly improved the healing pattern. Thus, it can be concluded that the fabricated biomaterial could provide a base for the development of promising alternatives for the conventional dressing system in treating burns.
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