Influence of replacing oregano essential oil by ground oregano leaves on chitosan/alginate-based dressings properties

Biopolymers, as chitosan and alginate, have gained prominence in the biomedical area, mainly for application in wound dressings, as partial replacements for synthetic polymers. The present work aimed to compare the influence of the antimicrobial agent incorporation form on the properties of films prepared by casting. The chitosan/alginate-based films were manufactured containing oregano essential oil (OW) or ground oregano leaves (OR). The OEO was chosen due to its excellent pharmacological properties, and the substitution by OR can represent an advantageous alternative for minimizing the final cost of the product, by removing the oil extraction step. The films, with different amounts of OEO and OR, were characterized in terms of their morphological. physicochemical, mechanical and antimicrobial properties. The films had properties according to desirable for wound dressing application: water vapor flux less than 35 g m(-2)h(-1), moderate liquid absorption capacity, and similar mechanical properties to human skin. All developed films showed antimicrobial activity against the bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Formulations containing OEO presented the largest inhibition zones, although OR showed high potential for the proposed use. These results suggest that films developed, with both OEO and ground oregano leaves, are promising for use as dressings. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Biopolymers like chitosan and alginate have been used in biomedical applications, especially in wound dressings as substitutes for synthetic polymers. The study compared the influence of antimicrobial agent incorporation form on the properties of chitosan/alginate-based films, finding that films containing oregano essential oil or ground oregano leaves showed promise for wound dressing applications with good physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity.