Films from poly-γ-glutamic acid and poly-ε-lysine as the potential wound dressings – formulation, preparation and...

Film wound dressings represent one of the options in wound therapy. Various polymers can be used for their production. Currently, research focuses on materials of natural origin, more friendly to the human body, which are in many cases able to participate actively in the wound healing process. These include polyamino acids of bacterial origin, substances that are biodegradable, non-toxic, and have a great potential for an application not only in the medical field. From the point of view of film wound dressing formulation, poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA), as a film-forming agent, and poly-ε-lysine (PL), characterized by antimicrobial activity, are of interest from this group. Therefore, the aim of our experiment was to prepare films consisting of PGA or a combination of PGA and PL with the addition of different plasticizers. The films were prepared by solvent evaporation method and then evaluated for their organoleptic (appearance, colour, transparency, ease of handling), physicochemical (thickness, density, opacity, surface pH), and mechanical properties (tensile strength and tear resistance). As a result, films showing mutual compatibility between the two polymers were obtained, with satisfactory properties for wound application.