Nanofiber coated cotton bandage. **Darcy Ross, Cornell University.
An interdisciplinary research team at Cornell University has identified an innovative way to use the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the plant compound LawOne to create nanofiber-coated cotton bandages to fight infections and help wounds heal faster. Publish a collection of dragon cards to share millions of cash
Their findings, published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, are particularly important in light of the growing prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Cotton gauze is one of the most common wound dressings; It's inexpensive, readily available, comfortable, and biocompatible. However, it does not promote healing or fight infection.
Cotton alone can't provide an answer to these complications – it needs to be biofunctionalized," said lead author Mohsen Alishahi, a PhD student in fiber science who works in the nanofibre and nanotextile (nanofibtex) laboratory in the Department of Human-Centered Design (HCD) in the School of Human Ecology.
Tamer Uyar, associate professor and laboratory director at HCD, said one of its main research interests is to develop functional fibers from sustainable materials and explore their potential applications in medical textiles and drug delivery systems.
In this work, Alishahi, Uyar, and PhD student Mahmoud Aboelkheir used Lawsone, a reddish-orange compound found in henna leaves with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, to improve cotton performance.
Tamer Uyar (left), associate professor of human-centered design and PhD student Mohsen Alishahi, worked on the development of nanofiber-coated cotton bandages. **Darcy Ross, Cornell University.
Lawsone has been shown to help wounds heal faster, but it is difficult to dissolve in solution and is not easily absorbed by the body. To overcome these limitations, the team used cyclodextrins, a family of naturally occurring oligosaccharides produced from starch, to create an endocannabinoid that binds the lawsone molecule within cyclodextrin.
They then used electrospinning equipment to produce a homogeneous nanofiber coating from a lawone-cyclodextrin solution and captured it on a non-woven cotton pad. They found that the experimental dressing had significantly higher antioxidant activity compared to pure lawsone – promising faster wound healing thanks to cyclodextrin inclusions that increased the solubility of lawsone, as well as the high surface area-to-volume ratio of the nanofiber system.
The Nanofibtex team then worked with Craig Altier, a professor of population medicine and diagnostic sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Rimi Chowdhury, a senior researcher, to test the biology of the dressing. The experimental dressing has excellent antimicrobial properties against Gram-negative and Gram-positive species, and is effective in testing** Escherichia coli and staphylococcus.
The long-term overuse of high concentrations of synthetic antibiotics has led to the rise of deadly epidemics of multidrug-resistant microorganisms," Uyar said. "Therefore, the use of natural and effective antimicrobials, such as LawLawone, can be used as an alternative to synthetic antimicrobials.
Wound dressings should provide a suitable environment to promote healing and prevent infection," Alishahi said. "This dressing uses completely natural materials such as cotton, cyclodextrin and lausone, as it has a comprehensive range of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities that promote the development of both. ”
Alishahi says the dressing is particularly helpful for chronic wounds that are highly susceptible to infection, such as diabetic ulcers and burns. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can also benefit more regular wounds by reducing the formation of scars.
I'm familiar with the complications patients face due to a lack of proper dressings," says Alishahi, who previously worked at the Burn and Wound Healing Research Center. "My ultimate goal is to develop a dressing that will overcome these difficulties for them. This work opens the door to the creation of medical textiles that are good for the environment and good for the best.