PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COTTON FABRIC MODIFIED WITH CHITOSAN CONTAINING DICLOFENAC SODIUM FOR WOUND DRESSING

Abstract

Due to the different types of wounds and stages of their healing, the development of bioactive textile wound dressings is a challenge. In many cases, the dressing is expected to be multifunctional. It must actively support wound healing by absorbing excess exudate, but also provide a moist environment, inhibit microbial growth, and, if necessary, deliver bioactive substances in a controlled manner.

This study aims to modify cotton fabric with a layer of chitosan crosslinked with citric acid, involving diclofenac sodium. Different methods were applied to obtain two composite materials. The first treatment used the pad-dry technique at room temperature (CRTD), and the second applied pad-cure at 80^oC for 180 min (CHTD). The new materials were characterised by optical microscopy and thermal analysis. The surface properties of the pristine cotton fabric were compared with the modified samples by determining the contact angle of a droplet of distilled water. The composites exhibit hydrophobic properties and antibacterial activity against model bacterial strains, Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The material CHTD inhibits approximately 78.0 % of the growth of P. aeruginosa and approximately 31.6 % of B. cereus. Using gravimetric and spectrophotometric analysis, the swelling of the obtained layers on the fabric surface and the release of diclofenac sodium in phosphate buffer with pH = 7.4 at 37^oC were investigated. Therefore, the composite materials combine antibacterial efficacy with continued release of bioactive substances, making them promising for use as wound dressings.