Viable approach for preventing skin wound infections using bioactive dressing films from...

Bioactive chitosan (Cs)-based films containing newly synthesized chitosan-furfural aminophosphonate (F) or chitosan-hydroxymethyl furfural aminophosphonate (HMF) derivatives have been investigated as potential wound dressing material. The chemical structure of the two derivatives was monitored by observing the absorption peaks of P-O-C bonds on the FTIR chart at 883 and 802 cm^-1 for F and HMF, respectively. To improve the bioavailability and bio-absorbability, F and HMF nanoemulsions were prepared and loaded separately with three different concentrations (6, 12, and 18 mL) to chitosan solution for obtaining F-loaded Cs films (CsF1, CsF2, and CsF3) and HMF-loaded Cs films (Cs-HMF1, Cs-HMF2, and Cs-HMF3). The F- and HMF-loaded Cs films were investigated via FTIR, XRD, TGA-DTG, SEM-EDX, contact angle, mechanical, and swelling behavior. CsF3 and Cs-HMF3 films (that contain highest concentration of F and HMF nanoemulsion) exhibited optimal texture properties e.g. tensile strength was 8.82 and 8.92 MPa, and swelling ratio was 53.55 and 57.7 % respectively. The films were tested against pathogenic bacteria as a model for skin-causing bacterial infection. The findings signified those films containing F or HMF exhibited larger inhibition zones than bare Cs films. The films exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against skin-infecting pathogens. In addition, Cs-HMF3 films showed exceptional antibiofilm activity against all tested bacterial strains, including multidrug-resistant pathogens. Biocompatibility assessments confirmed the safety and non-toxicity of the films, making them suitable for wound dressings. These findings highlight the potential of F and HMF-modified chitosan films as advanced wound dressing materials with enhanced mechanical properties, antibacterial efficacy, and biocompatibility, offering a promising solution for managing bacterial infections in wound care.