Development and characterization of antibacterial marine extract-infused cellulose acetate nanofibers as wound dressings for combatting multidrug-resistant wound infections

Wound infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria pose a significant challenge globally in healthcare. Traditional wound dressings often lack efficacy against these resilient pathogens, necessitating the exploration of innovative approaches to combat infections and promote wound healing. This study was designed to investigate a novel wound dressing marine extract-infused electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibers (CANF) with particular emphasis on combating multidrug-resistant bacteria. Cellulose acetate (CA) solution was blended with marine extract (Heteroxenia Fuscescens soft coral, H. Fu) before the formation of electrospun nanofibers. The antibacterial activities of H. Fu extract and the prepared nanofiber mats were explored against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Results displayed that H. Fu extract has a robust antibacterial action against tested bacteria. Different concentrations of H. Fu (0.05 g, 0.1 g, 0.2 g, and 0.3 g) were added to CA solutions, and named as H. Fu-1@CANF, H. Fu-2@CANF, H. Fu-3@CANF and H. Fu-4@CANF, respectively. The obtained results from SEM analysis demonstrated the smooth and uniform fibers. As observed, the results also domenstrated that the addition of H. Fu with specific concentrations (0.05 g, 0.1 g, 0.2 g) has no significant impact on the smooth properties of the formed nanofibers. Increasing the concentration of H. Fu (0.3 g) leads to the formation of nanofibers coated with huge beads. The contact angle values of CANF, H. Fu-1@CANF, H. Fu-2@CANF, and H. Fu-3@CANF were 33.3 degrees, 57.1 degrees, 60.8 degrees and 62.9 degrees, respectively. The prepared nanofiber samples were tested for their inhibitory impact on bacterial survival counts using the disc diffusion method. Important results from the study include the observation that H. Fu-3@CANF exhibited the largest zones of inhibition (ZOI) with diameters of 35 f 0.25 mm for P. aeruginosa, 32 f 0.65 mm for A. baumannii, 28 f 0.14 mm for S. aureus, and 27.6 f 0.48 mm for S. epidermidis. Additionally, the H. Fu2@CANF sample demonstrated strong antibacterial activity, with ZOI diameters of 32 f 0.56 mm, 29 f 0.81 mm, 26 f 0.27 mm, and 25.4 f 0.28 mm for the respective bacteria. The Microtox (R) assay further evaluated the toxicity levels of the nanofiber mats, revealing that while all samples exhibited some toxicity, the H. Fu-3@CANF sample had the lowest toxicity profile. These findings highlight the potential of H. Fu-loaded nanofibers, particularly H. Fu-3@CANF, for broad-spectrum antibacterial applications. The study underscores the importance of incorporating bioactive compounds into nanofiber mats to enhance their antimicrobial properties, making them suitable candidates for medical and environmental applications requiring effective bacterial eradication.