Developing a Novel Wound Dressing Hydrogels Based on Deep Eutectic Solvent and Additives: Effectively Kill Bacteria

Author: Mansi Jayantibhai Korat

Korat, Mansi Jayantibhai, 2024 Developing a Novel Wound Dressing Hydrogels Based on Deep Eutectic Solvent and Additives: Effectively Kill Bacteria, Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health

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Abstract

Nowadays, wound management is a major concern for healthcare as it has considerable risk of developing infections and life-threating complications. Traditional wound dressing offers limited protection. Sometimes it fails to protect wound against bacterial infection. Antimicrobial resistance may lead to long-term debilitation in wound healing. Therefore, the demand for innovative antibacterial-resistant wound dressings has become increasingly evident. This study aims to design multifunctional wound dressing hydrogels based on NADES and bioactive additives. These hydrogels exhibit capacity to kill both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442) pathogens, which could promote wound healing.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are synthesized through the collaboration of a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and a hydrogen bond donor (HBD). Their notable feature lies in their lower melting points, attributed to the intricate interplay of hydrogen bonding, resulting in a homogeneous and transparent solution. In this study, three different DESs have been incorporated into hydrogels to evaluate their antibacterial activities. Two types of gelling agents including Pluronic F-127 and Xanthan are utilised to prepare DES hydrogels and compared their antibacterial properties. The antibacterial assay was conducted to assess the efficacy of various gels in terms of their antibacterial activity. Furthermore, bioactive compounds were extracted from the brown seaweed and analysed by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTof). The brown seaweed extract was then incorporated into DES gels of which antibacterial activities were assessed.

In conclusion, the results show that DES solvent and gels show superior antibacterial activities for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. Adding dopamine could enhance their antibacterial properties and bio-adhesive properties. This study highlights the potential of utilizing DES gels for the creation of antibacterial wound dressing materials, which could enhance wound healing processes.

Keywords: wound healing, DES based hydrogel, antibacterial activity

Subject: Medical Biotechnology thesis

Thesis type: Masters
Completed: 2024
School: College of Medicine and Public Health
Supervisor: Dr. Long Yu