Propolis Incorporated Bovine Gelatin–Chitosan Polysaccharide-Based Films for Wound Dressing
TL;DR
The combined physical properties and preliminary antibacterial observations of the prepared films indicate their potential for wound dressing applications.
Abstract
The selection of appropriate materials is a critical step in designing an ideal wound dressing. One of the primary objectives of an ideal wound dressing is the prevention of bacterial infections. In this work bovine gelatine (BGE)–chitosan (CS) wound dressing films supplemented with propolis (PE) which is a well-known anti-bacterial agent were prepared by using solvent casting technique. The structures of the wound dressing films were characterized by FTIR and optical microscopy. Also, physical properties of the films such as thickness, mass, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), water absorption capacity, water content and dressing pH were determined. The water content of films incorporating propolis was found to range from 18.8% to 23%. The water absorption capacity of these films varied between 137% and 646%, while their WVTR was observed to be between 1228.12 and 1593.75 g/m2·day. Additionally, the pH values of the prepared films ranged from 5.86 to 7.34, aligning with the typical pH range of human skin. Furthermore, the antibacterial potential of the BGE-CS-PE films was preliminarily assessed using the agar disc diffusion method against Gram-positive (S. aureus, B. subtilis) and Gram-negative (S. Typhi, E. coli) microorganisms. The observed inhibition zones suggested the potential contribution of propolis incorporation to the antibacterial properties of the films. The combined physical properties and preliminary antibacterial observations of the prepared films indicate their potential for wound dressing applications.