Effect of Incorporating Cellulose Nanofibers and Lemongrass Essential Oil in Polyvinyl Alcohol-Polyethylene Glycol/Glycerin Hydrogel for Wound Dressing

Abstract

Hydrogels attract increased interest as wound dressings due to their biomimetic properties, creating a moist environment conducive to natural wound healing. In this study, a PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG hydrogel incorporating cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and lemongrass essential oil (LG) into the polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol/glycerin (PVA-PEG/gly) hydrogel via the freeze-thaw method was developed. The addition of CNFs and LG aimed to improve the physicochemical and antibacterial aspects of the hydrogel. Optimal hydrogel composition, determined through response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD), consisted of 3.5% (w/v) CNFs and 3% (v/v) LG concentrations, resulting in an optimal moisture retention capability (MRC) of 37.69 ± 0.54%. The optimized PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG demonstrated impressive characteristics: a swelling capacity of 176.89 ± 1.56%, a gel fraction of 78.89 ± 0.42%, and a porosity of 47.51 ± 0.53%. FESEM images revealed the relatively porous nature of PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG hydrogels. Furthermore, the hydrogel exhibited excellent resistance against S. aureus and B. subtilis bacteria, along with notable tensile properties of 1.44 MPa. These findings underscore the promising attributes of the PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG hydrogel, positioning it as a versatile and effective wound-healing dressing with significant antimicrobial properties. ABSTRAK: Hidrogel mendapat perhatian ramai sebagai pembalut luka di sebabkan oleh ciri-ciri biomimik, di mana menghasilkan persekitaran lembab yang baik bagi penyembuhan luka secara semula jadi. Kajian ini, mencadangkan hidrogel PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG yang mengandungi selulosa nanofiber (CNF) dan minyak pati serai (LG) dalam hidrogel polivenil alkohol-polietilin glikol/gliserin (PVA-PEG/gly) melalui kaedah beku-cair. Penambahan CNFs dan LG diperlukan bagi memperbaiki aspek fisiokimia dan antibakterial hidrogel. Komposisi optimal hidrogel, dibentuk melalui kaedah respons permukaan (RSM) dan reka bentuk komposit pusat (CCD), mengandungi 3.5% (w/v) CNFs dan 3% (v/v) kepekatan LG, menghasilkan kemampuan retensi kelembapan optimal (MRC) sebanyak 37.69 ± 0.54%. Kadar optimum PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG menunjukkan ciri-ciri yang menarik: iaitu kapasiti pembengkakan sebanyak 176.89 ± 1.56%, pecahan gel sebanyak 78.89 ± 0.42%, dan keliangan 47.51 ± 0.53%. Imej FESEM menunjukkan sifat keliangan semula jadi hidrogel PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG. Tambahan, hidrogel memiliki rintangan tinggi terhadap bakteria S. aureus dan B. subtilis, sejajar dengan ciri-ciri ketara tegangan 1.44 MPa. Dapatan kajian ini penting bagi ciri-ciri hidrogel yang berpotensi besar seperti PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG, menjadikannya serba guna dan berkesan sebagai balutan penyembuhan luka dengan ciri-ciri antimikrob yang ketara.

Keywords

• Polyvinyl alcohol, Polyethylene glycol, Glycerin, Cellulose nanofibers, Lemongrass essential oil