Slightly degradable, naturally antibacterial hydrogel matrixes derived from polyvinyl alcohol and linear/branched-polyethyleneimine as a wound dressing material

Abstract

PVA:PEI based film gels were prepared at various weight ratios, 10–100% of linear-PEI (L-PEI) and branched-PEI (B-PEI) to PVA as PVA:L-PEI or PVA:B-PEI to demonstrate the effect of PEI types on hydrolytic degradation, blood compatibility, antibacterial properties, and cytotoxicity. The hydrolytic degradation studies, done at ∼ skin pH, 5.4 and revealed that PVA:PEI-based film gels, 1:0.1 wt% are degradable with a gravimetric weight losses of16.80 ± 1.39% and 17.20 ± 1.21% up to 7 days, and decreased as the wt% of L-PEI and B-PEI were increased in the matrix. The blood compatibility assays done through hemolysis and blood clotting tests disclosed only PVA:B-PEI film gels at 1.0 mg/mL concentration were found blood compatible. The antimicrobial studies revealed that regardless of the types and weight ratio of L-PEI or B-PEI, all PVA:L-PEI and PVA:B-PEI based film gels possess a potent antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a gram-negative bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus, a gram-positive bacteria. Moreover, the cytotoxicity test results examined on the L929 cell line uncovered that only PVA:L-PEI and PVA:B-PEI even at very low concentrations of L-PEI or B-PEI, for example, PVA:L-PEI and PVA:B-PEI at 1:0.1 weight ratio film gel at 10 mg/mL show toxic effect, for example <50% cell viability suggesting lesser concentration use in biomedical applications.