Composite Film of Chitosan Loaded Norfloxacin With Improved Flexibility and Antibacterial Activity for Wound Dressing Application

This research develops chitosan film incorporated norfloxacin (CH-NOR) designed to combat the infection of bacteria around the wound area. Inclusion of norfloxacin increased the strain-atbreak or flexibility of the film. Swelling behavior and water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs) values are improved and optimum for CH-NOR1.0 film at 524 +/- 65 % and 1916 +/- 78 g m(-2) d(-1), respectively. In-vitro cell studies show that the present of norfloxacin in CH film gradually decreased the number of human dermal fibroblast cell (CRL2522, ATCC) after incubated for 72 hours. In-contrast, antibacterial activities of CH-NOR films exhibit strong inhibition zones against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacteria.