Properties of Probiotic Bacterial Cellulose/κ-Carrageenan Based Hydrogel Having Antibacterial Activity and...

Hydrogels derived from biopolymers have attracted considerable interest in biomedical applications because of their biocompatibility and structural similarity to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Bacterial Cellulose (BC), despite being a promising biopolymer for hydrogel preparation, lacks antimicrobial properties itself. To address this drawback, we prepared Probiotic Bacterial Cellulose (PBC) in our laboratory, which has intrinsic antibacterial properties. No research was found on the preparation of a hydrogel using PBC and κ-carrageenan, which motivated us to develop a PBC/κ-carrageenan-based hydrogel. In the study, a novel biocomposite hydrogel system has been developed by integrating PBC with κ-carrageenan, yielding a multifunctional hydrogel with enhanced antibacterial properties and biocompatibility. The novel hydrogel has been evaluated for its structural, physicochemical, antibacterial, and biocompatible properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the formation of intermolecular interactions between PBC and κ-carrageenan. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed a porous internal morphology and the presence of probiotic bacteria within the hydrogel networks. Porosity analysis and swelling behaviour indicated an elevated water uptake capacity and structural stability. The composite hydrogel demonstrated promising antibacterial properties against pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and exhibited favourable in vitro biocompatibility. The developed PBC/κ-carrageenan hydrogel exhibits a synergistic combination of porosity, swelling capacity, biocompatibility, and antibacterial activity, making it a potential candidate for healthcare applications viz. wound healing and other tissue engineering applications.