Abstract
Biomaterial-based wound dressings were fabricated using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as nano-filler in a polymeric mixture of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and gum tragacanth (GT) via solution casting. Physical and chemical characteristics of neat PVA, PVA/GT and PVA/GT/CNC films with varying concentrations (2 to 10%) of CNCs were observed. Initial analysis of CNCs showed nanosized particles of 104 nm length and 7 nm width. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) illustrated cluster formations of CNCs in the polymer matrix. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry was used to confirm the chemical functional groups in the material. The presence of GT and CNCs in the polymer matrix improved water uptake and prolonged stability for 7 days. The CNCs enhanced tensile strength from 54.63 MPa to 80.39MPa. Biological properties of PVA/GT/CNC films were analyzed. Results showed that the dressing material was nontoxic to mouse fibroblast cells L929, while film loaded with betel leaf extract exhibited excellent antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus DMST 8840 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa TISTR 781, indicating that composite film was suitable for application in wound dressing.
Evaluation in Cellulose Nanocrystals Effectiveness on Composite Film based Wound Dressing from Poly(vinyl alcohol) and Gum Tragacanth
