Development of Biological Self-Cleaning Wound-Dressing Gauze for the Treatment of Bacterial Infection

Microorganisms, dirt, and other air pollutants are major problems in textiles, which can generate an unpleasant odor during their growth. Herein, we have developed some novel antibacterial benzimidazolium-based dipodal ionic liquids that act as iron chelators, and they were loaded onto the wound-dressing gauze to enhance their antimicrobial properties for biomedical applications. The metal binding affinity of the synthesized ionic liquids was evaluated by UV–visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, which reveals its selectivity toward Fe (III) ion. It is well-established that almost all bacteria require Fe (III) for survival and growth. To compete successfully for this essential nutrient, bacteria developed very efficient Fe (III) uptake mechanisms based on high-affinity Fe (III) chelators, so-called siderophores. Thus, keeping this in mind, all the prepared ionic-liquid-based iron chelators have been evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against various pathogenic bacterial strains by colony forming unit (CFU) assay, and the MICs were determined by a broth microdilution method. The mechanism of action has also been explored by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which reveals the bacterial cell wall deformity and cell wall rupturing that may lead to bacteria cell death. The most potent antibacterial compound, IL-3, was also investigated for its cytotoxicity against mammalian HeLa cell line and found to be nontoxic (IC50 > 100 μM). Further, the IL-3-coated wound-dressing gauze has been developed, fully characterized, and investigated against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, the IL-3-coated gauze was also evaluated for its hemostatic potential, and results reveal that the developed gauze shortens the time period required for blood clotting in comparison to simple dressing gauze and pledget that are commonly used in clinics. Thus, the potential antibacterial and hemostatic results exhibited by developed IL-3-coated gauze make it a useful tool that can be used in wards, ICU, and particularly, by military persons in war front areas.