Potential dermal dressing of silanized bacterial cellulose with natural oils

Introduction: Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a natural polymer with promising biomedical applications, especially in wound healing due to its remarkable biocompatibility, purity, and facility for chemical modifications. Although BC has beneficial properties for the manufacture of dressings it does not have, for example, antimicrobial action. To overcome this limitation, it is necessary to incorporate bioactive molecule. A promising strategy is the addition of natural oils with antibacterial, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Among these oils are copaiba essential oil (CEO), geranium essential oil (GEO) and buriti vegetable oil (BVO). For efficiently incorporation of oils, it is necessary to chemically modify the hydrophilic BC structure through insertion of hydrophobic groups. This process can occur through silanization with methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS), resulting in a more suitable matrix for incorporation of natural oils. Objectives: The aim of this study was to hydrophobize BC suspensions and create aerogels that could incorporate the natural CEO, GEO and BVO oils as a potential product for the treatment of skin wounds. Methods: The aerogels resulting from the modification were characterized, covering porosity measurements, contact angle, liquid absorption capacity, FTIR spectroscopy and antimicrobial activity assays. Results: The results obtained, successfully revealed the hydrophobization of the material, as evidenced by the characteristic peaks of the silicon-cellulose bonds observed in the FTIR spectra, as well as the significant reduction of the contact angle in the modified sample. In addition, the oil absorption capacity of the silanized aerogels increased considerably, reaching about 45 times the weight of the material compared to native BC. The essential oils of copaiba, geranium and the vegetable oil of buriti also underwent a characterization, including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. Regarding antimicrobial activity, geranium essential oil (GEO) demonstrated a broader spectrum of action, presenting properties that may contribute to infection control in skin wounds against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and C. albicans. Conclusions: These aerogels showed promise as potential dressings for the treatment of skin lesions, offering an innovative approach to enhance healing and combat dermal infections.