Electricallymodified bacterial cellulose tailored with plant based green materials for infected wound healing applications.

Effective treatment of infected wounds remains a challenge due to the rise of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. The development of advanced materials with strong antimicrobial properties is necessary to address this issue. In this study, a unique composite of electrically modified bacterial cellulose (EBC) with allantoin (ABC) and zein was developed by dipping diffusion method. Morphological structural analysis revealed a uniform distribution of zein and aligned fibers, confirming the synthesis of the ABC-Zein composite. The formation of ABC-Zein was further confirmed by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), which displayed additional peaks corresponding to EBC, indicating the incorporation of zein into ABC. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of ABC-Zein demonstrated a similar crystalline structure with EBC. The ABC-Zein showed mechanical integrity (tensile strength: 1.15 ± 0.21 MPa), thermal stability (degradation temperature: 290 °C), porous structure (porosity: 40.23 ± 0.21 %), and hydrophilic (water contact angle: 53.3 ± 5.3°) properties. Furthermore, the antimicrobial agent terpinen-4-ol (T4O), derived from tea tree oil, was incorporated into the ABC-Zein composite. Biological studies confirmed the antimicrobial efficacy (Staphylococcus aureus inhibition: 88.5 ± 7.19 %) and biocompatible (cell viability: 84.95 ± 5.6 %, hemolysis: 4.479 ± 0.39 %) nature of the T4O-ABC-Zein composite. The combined effects of the aligned fiber structure, zein protein, and antimicrobial T4O significantly enhanced infected wound healing by day 7, promoting inflammatory response, granular tissue formation, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. By day 14, T4O-ABC-Zein facilitated complete wound healing, with reepithelization, collagen I deposition, and downregulation of CD 31, Ki67, and α-SMA. Overall, the innovative T4O-ABC-Zein composite, with an aligned fiber structure, improved biocompatibility, and antimicrobial properties, holds significant potential for the treatment of infected wounds.