Suture-associated infections on surgical sites are known
to be
related to the surface characteristics of the sutures. The present
study aimed to fabricate a novel functional suture for surgical procedures
and characterize its antioxidative, antimicrobial, and in vitro wound
healing properties. St John’s wort, Hypericum
perforatum, extract (eHp), and biogenic silver nanoparticles
(AgNPs) have been combined and used for coating the silk sutures.
Antioxidant, antimicrobial capacity, and in vitro wound healing potential
of the coated sutures have been examined. The morphological and microanalytical
examination of the coated sutures was also performed by scanning electron
microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). According
to the antioxidant activity tests, free radical scavenging and β-carotene
linoleic acid tests revealed that the antioxidative potential of H. perforatum extract–AgNP combination (eHp–AgNP)
at 10 mg/mL concentration was higher than those of positive controls,
ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol. Coating the sutures with eHp-AgNP
resulted in a remarkable inhibition activity of the sutures against Staphylococcus aureus, which is a pathogenic member
of human microbiota. When compared with the control groups, it was
investigated that coating the sutures with eHp–AgNP stimulated
the cell migration of the fibroblasts to heal the artificial wound.
Due to their beneficial effects, the eHp–AgNP-coated silk sutures
might be a potential antibacterial and wound healing accelerator for
surgical approaches.