Bromelain-loaded polyvinyl alcohol-activated charcoal-based film for wound dressing applications

The present research focuses on bromelain-loaded polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-activated charcoal (AC) film with desired mechanical strength and biocompatible properties for wound dressing application. The developed films were investigated physicochemically, mechanically, and biologically. The drug release studies were performed in a phosphate-buffered solution (pH 7.4). The homogenous dispersion of bromelain in the PVA-AC film and their morphology were analyzed through field emission scanning electron micrograph, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and Raman spectroscopy. The decrease in the hydroxyl group peak intensity suggests the excellent miscibility of bromelain in the PVA-AC matrix. The medium-range viscosities of PVA-based films revealed formulation stability. It was also observed that the wettability of the films was reduced with the addition of bromelain and AC. It is due to the interaction between the hydroxyl groups of PVA and bromelain, which leaves all of the hydrophobic bromelain groups unbounded and exposed to the surface. Further, the tensile strength of developed films was enhanced by 19% with the AC reinforcement. The swelling rate, degradation, and water vapor transmission rate were decreased with the incorporation of AC and bromelain. The films were slightly hemolytic (less than 3% hemolysis) and showed moderate protein adsorption. The in vitro drug release studies demonstrated a consistent release of bromelain for 48 h. The bromelain-loaded PVA-AC exhibits good antibacterial against S. aureus and reasonable cell viability with L929 cells. Further, a scratch assay showed 99.4% wound closure after 24 h bromelain-loaded PVA-AC films. Therefore, the developed films can be a potent candidate for wound healing applications. [GRAPHICS]