Given recent worldwide environmental concerns, biodegradability, antibacterial activity, and healing properties around the wound area are vital features that should be taken into consideration while preparing biomedical materials such as wound dressings. Some of the available wound dressings present some major disadvantages. For example, low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), inadequate exudates absorption, and the complex and high environmental cost of the disposal/recycling processes represent such drawbacks. In this paper, starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) material with inserted nano-sized zinc-oxide particles (nZnO) (average size ≤ 100 nm) was made and altered using citric acid (CA). Both ensure an efficient antibacterial environment for wound-dressing materials. The film properties were assessed by UV–Vis spectrometry and were validated against the UV light transmission percentage of the starch/ polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/ zinc-oxide nanoparticles (nZnO) composites. Analyses were conducted using X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate the structure and surface morphology of the materials. Moreover, to validate an ideal moisture content around the wound area, which is necessary for an optimum wound-healing process, the water vapor transmission rate of the film was measured. The new starch-based materials exhibited suitable physical and chemical properties, including solubility, gel fraction, fluid absorption, biodegradability, surface morphology (scanning electron microscopy imaging), and mechanical properties. Additionally, the pH level of the starch-based/nZnO film was measured to study the prospect of bacterial growth on this wound-dressing material. Furthermore, the in vitro antibacterial activity demonstrated that the dressings material effectively inhibited the growth and penetration of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus).

In this study, eco-friendly and transparent starch-based/polyvinyl alcohol/citric acid composite films are evaluated for their efficacy as wound dressing materials. The starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) materials with added citric acid (0.46–1.83 wt%) and glycerol were made and handled based on the modified casting method. This new formulation decreases the amount of PVA used in the conventional preparation method. Citric acid ensures an appropriate antibacterial environment for wound-dressing materials. The mechanical, chemical, and surface morphological properties of such films were assessed and analyzed by tensile strength tests, UV–Vis spectrometry, swelling index, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the water vapor transmission (WVT) quantity was measured for an ideal wound-healing process to investigate an optimal moisture environment around the wound bed. Moreover, the pH level of the dressings was measured to examine the possibility of bacterial growth around these starch-based films. Additionally, the films’ in-vitro antibacterial activities were studied against the two most common Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). The new starch-based dressings demonstrated suitable degradation, antibacterial activity, fluid absorption, and adequate mechanical strength, representing wound-dressing materials’ vital features.

This paper utilizes response surface methodology (RSM) design-based analyses to optimize starch-based wound dressings that were characterized based on weight loss (WL%), swelling index (SI%), and mechanical strength (TS). The wound-dressing materials were prepared by employing a modified casting method, using various concentrations of starch (0.5–2 w/w%), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (0.5–2 weight%), citric acid (1.5–4 weight%), and glycerol (1.5–4 weight%) to yield wound-dressing films with appropriate combinations of in vitro degradation, swelling index, and tensile strength. As a result of the response surface method-based analysis, the swelling index, in vitro degradation, and tensile strength were linearly related to variations in the formulation of organic components. Based on our experimental investigations, the optimized film (formulation: 1 weight% PVA, 2 weight% starch, 1.5 weight% citric acid, and 1.5 weight% glycerol) exhibited an outstanding swelling index (343.52%), suitable in vitro degradation (53.22%), and excellent tensile strength (8.82 MPa). The response surface plots for the dependent variables, swelling index (SI%), weight loss (WL%), and mechanical strength (TS), showed that in all dual relations, the PVA-starch combination significantly affected all dependent variables; however, the PVA-citric acid interaction showed the most excellent effect on the swelling index. As a result, every component of the resulting film had a lesser amount of all ingredients to achieve better properties at a lower material cost. Starch-based/PVA films have been identified in this paper as optimal and more affordable wound-dressing films.

Industrial plastic production has the significant benefits of convenience, safety, and low cost. Further to the benefits are added the aesthetic qualities, the mechanical strength and the capability to mix with other materials such as fibers. All these contributed to the rapid expansion of plastics (polystyrene and nylon) in multiple applications and various purposes, such as biomedical materials, packaging, transport, industry, and agriculture. On the other hand, global warming is now one of the most concerning issues for all people. It is considered that replacing some of the conventional materials in various applications such as wound dressings with biodegradable starch-based films is a step forward in addressing environmental issues. Due to mechanical debriding of tissues, traditional dressings like regular cotton gauzes are counterproductive and end up causing painful wound trauma during dressing procedures. The development of transparent wound dressing films enables a moist healing environment with enhanced bacterial impermeability. The performance of polyvinyl alcohol/starch/citric acid (PVA/St/CA) based composite film for wound dressing applications is addressed in this work. Literature recorded fixed composition of PVA (2.5 w/w%), starch (2.5 w/w%), and glycerol (2 w/w%) during 70–80 °C casting temperature. Different citric acid concentrations (0.5 to 2 g) were investigated during the development of composite film solution casting. Prepared samples have been characterized by swelling index, solubility-dependent biodegradability, and tensile strength (TS). The film also exhibits enhanced combinations of the water vapor transmission rate and antibacterial efficiency against the bacterial flora (various bacteria existent in the air). As an extra benefit, such materials are easily degraded in water for up to seven days with a minute footprint. A potential candidate for wound dressing applications has been inferred from the biodegradable PVA/St/CA films with all these useful features.