Antimicrobial Hyaluronic Acid-Cefoxitin Sodium Thin Films Produced by Electrospraying

The healing properties of hyaluronic acid (HA) in the recovery of wounds are well known. Cefoxitin (Cef), a cephalosporin antibiotic, is generally used to prevent and treat postoperative infections. In this study, we describe the incorporation of Cef in HA thin films (Cef-HAF) by using electrospraying. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that HA-containing thin films (HAF) were composed of numerous nanoparticles (255 +/- 177 nm in diameter) with irregular surfaces, connected to each other with nanofibers of 50 +/- 11 nm in diameter. Cef-HAF contained fewer, but larger, particles (551 +/- 293 nm) with smooth surfaces and were interconnected with nanofibers of 61 +/- 13 nm in diameter. Differences in surface morphology between HAF and Cef-HAF were confirmed by atomic force microscopy. Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that Cef was not modified when incorporated into Cef-HAF and remained active against Klebsiella pneumoniae Xen 39, Staphylococcus aureus Xen 36 and Listeria monocytogenes EDGe. Nanofiber scaffolds of HA-containing Cef may be used in dressings to control postoperative infections.