Antibiotic loaded carboxymethylcellulose/MCM-41 nanocomposite hydrogel films as potential wound dressing

Existing wound dressings have disadvantages such as lack of antibacterial activity, insufficient oxygen and water vapor permeability, and poor mechanical properties. Hydrogel-based wound dressings swell several times their dry volume and would be helpful to absorb wound exudates and afford a cooling sensation and a moisture environment. To overcome these hassles, a novel antibiotic-eluting nanocomposite hydrogel was designed via incorporation of mesoporous silica MCM-41 as a nano drug carrier into carboxymethylcellulose hydrogel. Tetracycline and methylene blue as antibacterial agents were loaded to the system and showed different release profiles. The prepared nanocomposite hydrogel was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), UV–vis spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The prepared nanocomposite hydrogels exhibited an enhanced in vitro swelling, erosion, water vapor and oxygen permeability, and antimicrobial activity. This could effectively increase the time intervals needed to exchange the bandage. The obtained data strongly encourage the use of these nanocomposite hydrogels as wound dressing material.