MoO₃-Naringin-Loaded CMC/PVA/PVP Patch: A Rapid Biofunctional Wound Dressing

Chronic wounds result in extended healing durations and increased susceptibility to infections. Wound infections pose a major obstacle to the healing process. Dressings with improved antibacterial properties should be used to treat chronic, infected wounds. In this work, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were used to fabricate a polymeric patch with molybdenum oxide (MoO₃) nanoparticles and naringin. Molybdenum oxide (MoO₃) nanoparticles were synthesized using the wet chemical method and characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antibacterial activity of MoO₃ was evaluated using diffusion, colony count, growth curve analysis, and biofilm disruption methods. Biocompatibility, swelling behavior, degradation rate, porosity, drug release profile, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and MTT and scratch assays were used to evaluate the fabricated polymer patches (CMC/PVA/PVP with and without MoO₃ and naringin). In an in vivo wound healing study, the CMC/PVA/PVP/MoO₃/naringin patch demonstrated enhanced healing, with 91% wound closure in 15 days in a full-thickness excisional wound model in Wistar rats.