Abstract
Bandaging is a steadfast but time-consuming component of wound care with limited technical advancements to date. Bandages must be changed and infection risk managed. Rapid-set liquid bandages are efficient alternatives but lack durability or inherent infection control. We show here that antibacterial zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) species greatly enhance the barrier properties of the natural, waterproof, bio-adhesive polymer, shellac. The material demonstrated marked antibacterial contact properties and, in ex-vivo studies, effectively locked-in pre-applied therapeutics. When challenged in vivo with the polybacterial bovine wound infection ‘digital dermatitis’, Zn/Cu-shellac adhered rapidly and robustly over pre-applied antibiotic. The bandage self-degraded, appropriately, over 7 days despite extreme conditions (faecal slurry). Treatment was well-tolerated and clinical improvement was observed in animal mobility. This new class of bandage has promise for challenging topical situations in humans and other animals, especially away from controlled, sterile clinical settings where wounds urgently require protection from environmental and bacterial contamination.
Highlights
Bandaging is a steadfast but time-consuming component of wound care with limited technical advancements to date
For proof-of-principle in vivo application and tolerability we considered a worst-case-scenario challenge, namely digital dermatitis, a chronic, contagious, polybacterial infection that afflicts the feet of dairy cows with painful lesions
Shellac is highly soluble in ethanol and its solutions readily yield solid adhesive layers upon evaporation: i.e. after being applied to surfaces[16]
Summary
Bandaging is a steadfast but time-consuming component of wound care with limited technical advancements to date. Treatment was well-tolerated and clinical improvement was observed in animal mobility This new class of bandage has promise for challenging topical situations in humans and other animals, especially away from controlled, sterile clinical settings where wounds urgently require protection from environmental and bacterial contamination. We employed copper, zinc, and shellac—a natural, safe resin used in confectionary and cosmetics16—to develop robust, rapid-setting, liquid bandages with inherent antibacterial repellent (contact killing) properties. For proof-of-principle in vivo application and tolerability we considered a worst-case-scenario challenge, namely digital dermatitis, a chronic, contagious, polybacterial infection that afflicts the feet of dairy cows with painful lesions. It impairs mobility, milk production and quality of life[17,18]. Additives – – – FeCl3 FeCl3 – ZnO; triethyl citrate Polyethylene glycol (~ 400 Da); glycerol Benzoic acid would be a suitable triage system to answer the question of whether the material’s metal ions were available for bacterial contact killing or not
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