Nanofiber-coated cotton bandages fight infections and speed healing

An interdisciplinary team of Cornell researchers has identified an innovative way to harness the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the botanical compound Lawone to make nanofiber-coated cotton bandages that fight infections and help wounds heal faster.

Their conclusions, published in the International Journal of Pharmacyare particularly important given the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Cotton gauze is one of the most common dressings; it is inexpensive, readily available, comfortable and biocompatible. However, it does not promote healing or fight infections.

“Cotton alone cannot provide an answer to these complications: it must be biofunctionalized,” said lead author Mohsen Alishahi, a doctoral student in fiber science who works in the Department of Nanofibers and Nanotextiles (NanoFibTex) Laboratory. human studies of the College of Human Ecology. Centered Design (HCD).

Tamer Uyar, associate professor at HCD and director of the laboratory, said one of his main research interests is developing functional fibers from sustainable materials and exploring their potential applications in medical textiles and systems. medication administration.

For this work, Alishahi, Uyar and doctoral student Mahmoud Aboelkheir used Lawsone, a red-orange compound found in henna leaves that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, to improve the performance of cotton.

Lawsone has been shown to help wounds heal faster, but it is difficult to dissolve in a solution and is not easily absorbed by the body. To overcome these limitations, the team used cyclodextrins, a family of natural oligosaccharides produced from starch, to create an inclusion compound, linking Lawson’s molecules within the cyclodextrin.

They then used electrospinning equipment to produce a uniform nanofibrous coating from the loione-cyclodextrin solution, capturing it on nonwoven cotton. They found that the experimental dressing had significantly higher antioxidant activity, promising faster wound healing, compared to pure Lawsone, thanks to the increased solubility of Lawsone by inclusion of cyclodextrin and the high surface-to-volume ratio of the nanofibrous system.

The NanoFibTex team then worked with Craig Altier, professor of population medicine and diagnostic sciences, and Rimi Chowdhury, senior research associate, both at the College of Veterinary Medicine, to test the biological properties of the dressing. The experimental dressing exhibited excellent antibacterial performance against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial species, and effectively eradicated E. coli and staphylococci bacteria in testing.

“Prolonged overuse of synthetic antibiotics at high concentrations has contributed to the rise of the deadly epidemic of multidrug-resistant microbes,” Uyar said. “Thus, the use of natural and powerful antibacterials such as Lawsone can provide an alternative to synthetic antibacterials.”

“Dressings should provide an appropriate environment to facilitate healing and prevent infection,” Alishahi said. “Using completely natural materials such as cotton, cyclodextrin and Lawsone, this dressing can facilitate both as it has full antioxidant and antibacterial activity.”

Alishahi said the dressing would be particularly useful for chronic wounds that are highly susceptible to infection, such as diabetic ulcers and burns. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are also said to benefit more common wounds by reducing scar formation.

“I know the complications patients face due to lack of suitable dressings,” said Alishahi, who previously worked at a burn and wound healing research center. “My ultimate goal is to develop a dressing that can overcome these challenges. This work opens the door to creating medical textiles that are good for the environment and excellent for healing.”