Curcumin/Graphene Quantum Dot-Loaded Bacterial Nanocellulose Platform for Drug Delivery and Wound Dressing

Abstract

The present study outlines a straightforward approach for designing a novel drug delivery system based on bacterial nanocellulose composites containing curcumin-loaded graphene quantum dots (BNC/CUR/GQDs) for antibacterial and wound healing applications. The nanocomposite was made of interconnected plates with uniform thicknesses around 2[Formula: see text]mm. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the prepared BNC nanocomposite showed a uniform and porous morphology composed of the microfibrils having an average diameter of 120[Formula: see text]nm, which contributes to both drug inclusion and drug release in a controllable fashion. The designed system biosynthesized by Acetobacter xylinum demonstrated an optimum drug loading capacity and controlled release profile. The drug loading content and drug release efficiency were calculated around 31% and 61%. Agar diffusion test indicated that the introduction of GQDs into the BNC matrix conspicuously improved the growth inhibition of bacteria, and gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial strains were measured 21.6[Formula: see text]mm and 21.5[Formula: see text]mm, respectively. The cell viability of 92.3% was obtained for the BNC, while the cell viability of the designed system was measured at around 88.07%. Consequently, the incorporation of curcumin-loaded graphene quantum dots into bacterial nanocellulose matrices can open up a new insight into the production of high-performance wound dressing supplies.