Nanocellulose as drug delivery system for honey as antimicrobial wound dressing

Abstract

Honey is a naturally occurring sweetener which had been conventionally used for wound healing purpose due to its exceptional physicochemical properties. In this study, we aimed to determine the potential use of nanocellulose as an antimicrobial drug delivery system for the development of wound dressing. Initially, cellulose nanocrystals were synthesized from medical grade cotton through acid-base hydrolysis and sonication followed by characterization with a transmission electron microscope (TEM). A nanocellulose film coated with honey was developed using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a binder. The film was evaluated in vitro for the honey released kinetic and antimicrobial efficacy following the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) standard. TEM micrograph found rod-like rigid nanocrystals with average length and width of 171 nm and 3 nm, respectively. The honey incorporated nanocellulose film was uniform, slightly opaque and yellowish in color. Kinetics study refers that honey releasing from the film was intended to follow first-order kinetics, a process of constant drug release from the drug delivery system. It also indicates that concentration was slowly increased and remained constant after 48 h suggesting a sustained release of the maximum amount of active ingredients. The nanocellulose film also exhibited significant antimicrobial activity on both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. In conclusion, in vitro release kinetic as well as significant antimicrobial efficacy against the test microbes primarily offering the nanocellulose film to be acted as a good wound dressing for the treatment of chronic wounds. However, further investigations should be conducted to characterize the film in vivo prior to application as a suitable wound dressing.