Development of Ag doped ZnO nanostructure and tranexamic acid infused chitosan-guargum film: A multifunctional antimicrobial dressing with haemostatic and wound closure potential

Modern wound care requires multifunctional dressings that can efficiently control bleeding and subsequent infection, facilitate faster healing which leads to reduction in the healthcare costs. Our study aimed to develop a nanocomposite biopolymeric film composed of Ag doped ZnO nanoparticle and drug tranexamic acid (TRA) loaded into chitosan guargum matrix (CGT/AgZnO) for obtaining improved antibacterial, antibiofilm and haemostatic properties, along with potential wound healing effects. The films were developed via solution casting method and characterized by various standard biophysical techniques such as X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy imaging etc. The polymeric nanocomposite films exhibited strong antibacterial efficacy against bacteria such as E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and B. subtilis. The films loaded with 3 wt% of nanoparticles (CGT/AgZnO3) exhibited remarkable growth inhibition i.e. 90% and 94% against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, respectively. These films also demonstrated excellent antibiofilm activity, with CGT/AgZnO3 inhibiting over 80% of bacterial biofilm formation after 72 h. The nanocomposite films exhibited strong hemostatic effect as indicated by their blood clotting index (BCI) value. The in vitro hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility study (against the mouse fibroblast cells- L929 cell line) showed the films were highly biocompatible. The wound closure potential of the films was evaluated using in vitro scratch assays, exhibiting enhanced cell migration (100%) after 24 h, as compared to the control groups (66%). These findings confirmed that the developed CGT/AgZnO films have the potential as an excellent wound dressing material with high antibacterial, hemostatic, and wound healing properties.