Radiation synthesis of pH-sensitive 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate/ polyethylene oxide/ZnS nanocomposite hydrogel membrane for wound dressing application

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The popularity of hydrogel membrane as wound dressing lies in its elastic physical properties and the ability to encapsulate drug particles with improved properties to meet the diverse pH-sensitive hydrogel for wound dressing materials. A pH-sensitive hydrogel membrane that consists of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate/polyethylene oxide (DMAEM/PEO) in the ratio of (50:50% v/v) was crosslinked by γ-irradiation at a dose of 20 kGy. The combination of ZnS nanoparticles with (DMAEM/PEO) hydrogel loaded individually and with three antibiotic drugs such as colistin (C), gentamicin (G), and neomycin (N), is a simple and effective approach for enhancing their antimicrobial activities. The novelty is superior to the antimicrobial properties of the three common antimicrobials (C, G, and N) drugs in wound dressing hydrogel membranes due to the hybrid of ZnS nanoparticles with (DMAEM/PEO) hydrogel. The drug release rate experiments showed that (C) and (N) drugs were much more released at pH 4 than at pH 7, from (33% and 99%) to (24% and 70%), respectively. In contrast, the release rate of G drug increased from 40% at pH 4 to 96% at pH 7. Furthermore, the drug release kinetics showed differential release parameters of the three drugs due to the probably intermolecular hydrogen bonds between them and hydrogels segments. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of the three drugs loaded in (DMAEM/PEO)/ZnS hydrogel was tested against different bacterial and fungal strains of wound infections in in-vitro conditions. The antimicrobial experiments showed that ZnS NPs assisted in increasing the bactericidal drugs’ activity of (C, G, and N) compared to control antimicrobial agents (AX/Nyst.). The (DMAEM/PEO)/ZnS loaded by neomycin (BNZ) hydrogel had high antimicrobial activity, initiating their action by wrapping and adhesion at the exterior surface of the pathogenic microbe cell, producing membrane destruction and changing transport potential.