Chitosan Membranes Containing Plant Extracts: Preparation, Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Engineering
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Traditional medicinal extracts offer antimicrobial benefits.
• Polymeric scaffolds provide structural support for wound dressings.
• Combining these approaches can create advanced wound care materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop chitosan-based membranes incorporating Sage (S. officinalis) and St. John's Wort (H. perforatum) extracts.
• To evaluate the physico-chemical properties and antimicrobial efficacy of these novel membranes as wound dressings.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of chitosan-based membranes with plant extracts.
• Morphological analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
• Chemical structure characterization via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).
• Assessment of fluid sorption capacity and material integrity in incubation media.
• Antibacterial activity testing using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Main Results:

• Chitosan membranes with S. officinalis and H. perforatum extracts demonstrated enhanced sorption capacity.
• The membranes maintained structural integrity for 14 days in incubation media, particularly PBS.
• Incorporation of plant extracts significantly improved the antimicrobial properties against tested bacteria.
• Enhanced antibacterial activity was observed for both Gram-positive (S. aureus, MRSA) and Gram-negative (E. coli, P. aeruginosa) microorganisms.

Conclusions:

• The developed chitosan-based membranes possess favorable physico-chemical and antimicrobial properties.
• These membranes show significant potential as advanced wound dressing materials.
• The combination of chitosan, S. officinalis, and H. perforatum extracts offers a promising strategy for novel antimicrobial wound care.