Functionalization of cellulose-based nanocomposite hydrogel films with zinc oxide complex and grapefruit seed extract for potential applications in treating chronic wounds

In this study, the influence of grapefruit seed extract (GFSE) was studied on citric acid and zinc oxide incorporated cellulose-based hydrogel films. The effect of GFSE (0.25-1.0%, v/v) on hydrogel films was examined for their physico-chemical, mechanical, thermal, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The swelling ratio, tensile strength and thermal stability of films decreased with increase in GFSE concentrations. On the other hand, elongation (%) and antioxidant activity of films were found to be 34-60% and 25-79%, respectively for increasing amounts of GFSE. FESEM and FETEM clearly showed that two different types of nanoparticles (50-90 nm and 5-10 nm) were present in GFSE incorporated films. The release of polyphenolic compounds and zinc from films was in sustained manner. Furthermore, the fabricated hydrogel films exhibited antibacterial activity against both E. coli and S. aureus. All these results indicate that the prepared nanocomposite hydrogel films could find their potential applications in wound healing.