Chitosan/mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs) composite coating deposited on silk suture: An initial...

This is imperative to inhibit suture related postoperative infections, which hinder and delay the healing process. Thus, there is a pressing need to modify the surface of the suture that facilitates the healing process. Herein, we synthesized mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs) by the Stober method. A novel chitosan/MBGNs composite coating was deposited on silk suture by electrophoretic deposition at a constant voltage of 20 V for 5 min. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis revealed the non-uniform morphology of the composite coating, exhibiting a slightly hydrophilic nature with a contact angle of 67 ± 3°. Fourier-Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy identified the functional groups of chitosan and MBGNs present in the composite coating, confirming the successful deposition. Disc diffusion test revealed that coated silk suture exhibited a zone of inhibition of 8.7 ± 0.02 cm² and 2.3 ± 0.03 cm², than that of the controlled silk suture (~6.00 cm²) against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains, respectively. The coated silk suture also exhibited cyto-compatibility with the human dermal fibroblast cells. In-vivo study conducted on Swiss albino mice, the composite coated silk suture significantly accelerated wound healing, followed by visible collagen deposition and re-epithelialization in histological images, as compared to the uncoated silk suture. Similarly, the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines was significantly higher for coated sutures, and lower concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in comparison to bare silk sutures. However, the release of matrix metalloproteinases was lower in coated samples, while significantly higher for tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases. Overall, the in-vivo and in-vitro results confirmed that the coated silk suture has an enhanced healing effect and is suitable for further clinical investigations.