Development of antibacterial carboxymethyl cellulose/quaternized starch bionanocomposites based on cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsion for wound healing applications

Infectious diseases of skin wound-based bacteria are a considerable issue that often hinders the wound closure, thereby delaying the healing process. The use of wound dressing based-renewable polymers with natural essential oil could overcome the deficiencies of skin wounds. In this work, wound dressings from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/quaternized starch (MS-Q188) in presence antimicrobial cinnamon essential oil (CIEO) nanoemulsion were prepared. Three variable ratios of CIEO (i.e., 1, 3, and 5 wt.%) in nanoemulsion forms were used to fabricate CMC/MS-Q188 bionanocomposites. The resulting bionanocomposites were investigated by XRD, FT-IR, and SEM. The mechanical, hydrophilicity, and barrier properties were evaluated, the outcomes of which demonstrated the tensile properties were achieved. However, the hydrophilicity, water vapor, and oxygen barrier properties were affected when the CIEO nanoemulsion added to the matrix. The migration of polymer components to the skin tissue and cytotoxic effect were investigated by cytotoxicity assays. The outcomes showed that the cell viability was located in the range of~92-100% even at all studied concentrations, indicating there was no cytotoxicity to the cells. The inhibitory effects of CIEO nanoemulsion ratios on different pathogenic microbes were also verified. The developed bionanocomposites open opportunities for their use in smart skin wound dressings and biomedical applications.