Development and characteristic of bacterial cellulose for antimicrobial wound dressing

Bacterial cellulose (BC) material was obtained through fermentation by Acetobacter xylinumis with superior functional properties. BC is an interesting material for using as a wound dressing since it provides moist environment to a wound and results in a better wound healing. With the aim of using BC as a wound dressing material, moisture content, swelling ratio, purity and antimicrobial activity were investigated. Fresh prepared BC membrane was smooth, colorless, jelly alike, and it showed translucence after NaOH treatment. The purity of the cellulosic pellicle reached 98.32%, and it had good water holding capacity (98.02%) and high swelling ratio (69.88%). Antimicrobial activity test showed that BC material had excellent sterilizing efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The surface of BC membranes was porous network structure observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Infrared spectroscopy (IR) results showed that this membrane belong to bio-cellulose materials. BC displayed higher water content and water holding capacity, as well as higher purity and antimicrobial activity. It has an extensive usage in biomedicine areas.