Fabrication of multifunctional chitosan-based nanocomposite film with rapid healing and antibacterial effect for wound management

A nanocomposite film, chitosan (CS)-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-bentonite (BN) was fabricated to enhance wound healing processes as a new nanoplatform for wound dressing. Both physical properties and antibacterial activity of the proposed film were examined to validate its applicability and inhibitory effect for wound management. In vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated by using MTT assay on L929 and NIH3T3 cells to identify the toxicity level of the film. In vivo wound healing test assessed the wound healing performance in animal models. The results confirmed a strong interaction between surface functional groups among CS, PVP and BN with suitable surface morphology and high thermal stability. The CS-PVP-BN film improved various material features such as including mechanical property, tensile strength, pH and porosity, inhibitory activity on bacterial organisms, and collagen deposition. The animal study confirmed that the fabricated film yielded a rapid healing rate of 97%, less scarring, thick granulation at the 11th day, regeneration of epidermis at the 16th day, and abundant deposition of collagen and fibroblast, compared with control. The non-toxic nanocomposite film can be a promising antibacterial wound dressing with rapid wound healing effects in wound care management.