Highly Compatible Nanocomposite-Based Bacterial Cellulose Doped With Dopamine and Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles:...

Microbial resistance is an expenditure for a country's economy as a whole as well as its health systems. Metal oxide nanoparticles play a role in overcoming microbial resistance to antibiotics. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biopolymer that is friendly to the environment and has a wide range of economic uses, particularly in biomedicine. This work deals with the formulation of BC-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs) and polydopamine (DOP), which are presented with antimicrobial activity. Additionally, the mode of addition of the doped materials was studied using physicochemical analysis, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the topographical study used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX). The antimicrobial activity was studied and showed the efficiency of the BC/DOP/TiO₂NP composite against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli) strains. Additionally, the wound healing was examined on rats that had been purposely wounded. The results observed that the mode of addition contributed to the molecular structure of the formulated BC-doped samples according to the physicochemical and topographical analysis. Moreover, the BC/DOP/TiO₂NP composite enhanced wound healing for about 95% closure by Day 14 compared to 50% in the control group. Based on the results, we can suggest BC/DOP/TiO₂NP as an excellent candidate for wound dressings.