Novel hydrogels based on collagen and ZnO nanoparticles with antibacterial activity for improved wound dressings

Hydrogel based wound dressings help to prevent development of infection by absorbing a large volume of exudate from the wound area. Zinc ion based nanoparticles are routinely reported to hold an enhanced potential to help wound healing. In this work, we have developed and characterized hydrogels with in-situ incorporated ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) with antimicrobial properties. Samples were characterized via infrared spectrometry (FTIR), swelling capacity analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). ZnO incorporation lead to an increase in the swallowing rates for tested ZnO concentrations. SEM analysis revealed the presence of agglomerations of ZnO particles of micrometric dimensions (size 1,300-1,315 mu m) embedded in the polymeric material.The assesment of antimicrobial activity revealed some promising results in case of the liophylised hydrogels incubated with S. aureus The effect of ZnO NPs on biofilm formation was clearly evident in case of S. aureus. The number of viable cells decreased proportionally with the ZnO concentration. The preliminary results highlighted here pave the way for further in vivo experiments in order to confirm the beneficial effects harboured by the novel ZnO hydrogels on host wound healing.