Synergistic amalgamation of shellac with self-antibacterial hydroxyapatite and carboxymethyl cellulose: An interactive wound dressing for ensuring safety and efficacy in preliminary in vivo studies

Abstract

This study focuses on the synergistic formulation of environmentally friendly blended materials based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for advanced interactive wound dressing. New CMC hydrogels were prepared with two degrees of functionalization and chemically crosslinked with citric acid (CA) to fine-tune their properties. Additionally, CMC-based hybrids were created by blending with shellac (SHL) and incorporating self-antibacterial hydroxyapatite (HA) to inhibit bacterial growth and promote wound healing. The results demonstrate the successful production of superabsorbent hydrogels with typical swelling degrees ranging from 81% in water to 82% in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). These hydrogels exhibit distinct morphological features and remarkable improvements in surface mechanical properties, specifically in their tensile properties, which show a significant increase from approximately 0.03 to 2.2 N/mm² due to the formation of CMC-SHL-HA hybrid nanostructures. Furthermore, the cytocompatibility of these CMC-based hydrogels was investigated by assessing the in vitro cell viability responses of human skin fibroblasts. The results reveal the cell viability responses over 91%, indicating their biocompatibility with human cells. Moreover, the characteristics of surgical wounds were assessed before and after the application of the hydrogel on dogs, and no signs of infection were observed at any of the surgical sites post-surgery.

Keywords: Carboxymethyl cellulose; Hydrogel; Hydroxyapatite; Shellac; Wound dressing.