ICDSUPL2-B017

Volume: 2, 2023
2^nd International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT

Abstract number: B017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL2.B017

Published online: 19 April 2023

ICDSUPL, 2, B017 (2023)

Curdlan-based Zn-loaded biomaterial as promising wound dressing material

Michał Wójcik¹*, Paulina Kazimierczak¹, Vladyslav Vivcharenko¹, Anna Belcarz², Agata Przekora¹

¹ Independent Unit of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Chair of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biomedicine, Medical University of Lublin, Witolda Chodźki 1, 20-093, Lublin, Poland

² Chair and Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Witolda Chodźki 1, 20-093, Lublin, Poland

^{* Corresponding author: michal.wojcik@umlub.pl}

Abstract

Problem of skin injury treatment, especially of chronically infected wounds, is a topical issue in modern human and veterinary medicine. Application of topical dressings containing antibiotics is only recommended in chronically infected wounds with poor vascularization. For this reason, there is a growing trend in production of dressings containing metal ions with antibacterial properties. The aim of the study was to produce a matrix based on polysaccharides: curdlan and agarose enriched with zinc-doped nano-hydroxyapatite (Zn-HA) as a dressing to prevent wound and surgical site infections. The biomaterial was produced by combining two methods of sol-gel and thermal gelation of the mixture of polymers and Zn-HA followed by lyophilization. A polysaccharide matrix without zinc ions was used as a reference material. The developed dressing was analysed for cytotoxicity against human skin fibroblasts, and microbiological experiments using Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MTT test exhibited that the dressing was non-toxic to human skin fibroblasts after cell culture with the 24-hour extract of the biomaterial. However, the viability of cells exposed to 2-day and 3-day extracts was reduced to approximately 71 % compared to the control. It was caused by the accumulation of higher concentrations of zinc ions in the extracts compared to the 1-day extract. The antibacterial activity test showed that zinc-enriched biomaterial had the ability to reduce bacteria multiplication compared to the control matrix without bioactive additive. The direct-contact test showed bactericidal action of the biomaterial (a 99.9 % reduction in the number of S. aureus viable bacterial CFUs). For P. aeruginosa the killing activity of the biomaterial was much weaker. Interestingly, Live/Dead analysis using confocal microscopy demonstrated the ability of the zinc dressing to trap and kill bacteria. Within these studies, antibacterial biomaterial enriched with zinc ions was developed. The dressing revealed strong antibacterial activity against S. aureus and non-toxicity to human skin fibroblasts. Biomaterial had the ability to uptake, lock in, and kill bacteria within its gel structure, enabling the cleansing of the wound bed at every dressing change. Thus, zinc-enriched dressing may be potentially used to reduce the risk of microbial contamination during the wound healing process.

The study was supported by NCN in Poland within OPUS 16 grant no. UMO-2018/31/B/ST8/00945.

How to cite

M. Wójcik, P. Kazimierczak, V. Vivcharenko, A. Belcarz, A. Przekora^, 2023. Curdlan-based Zn-loaded biomaterial as promising wound dressing material. In: 2nd International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL2/B017