Preparation and evaluation of bilayer films based on collagen and carboxymethylcellulose for wound therapy

Collagen is the most abundant protein of the human body and a widely used biomaterial across sectors due to its favourable properties resulting from its physiological proximity. It plays a key role in the process of wound healing and tissue repair and is therefore used in modern wound dressings in various forms, either alone or in combination with other materials. Collagen films also offer potential applications for these purposes, because collagen has good film-forming properties and is commonly used in the food industry. The collagen films themselves, without further treatment, have weak mechanical properties, which is unsatisfactory when applied to a wound. For this reason, there is an effort to modify or to combine collagen with other materials. Therefore, the aim of our experiment was the preparation of bilayer films from collagen in combination with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). The CMC in the bottom layer had a goal to strengthen the films, reduce the consumption of used collagen and to ensure suitable application properties. Organoleptic evaluation, pH determination, swelling properties evaluation and testing of the mechanical properties of the prepared films confirmed that the prepared films exhibited satisfactory application parameters for the wound.