Development of low-cost bacterial cellulose-pomegranate peel extract-based antibacterial composite for potential biomedical applications.

This study was aimed to develop low-cost bacterial cellulose (BC)-based antibacterial composite with pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel extract (PGPE) for potential biomedical applications. BC was cost-effectively produced by utilizing food wastes, and PGPE was ex situ impregnated into its hydrogel. Field-emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM) observation showed a nanofibrous and microporous morphology of pristine BC and confirmed the development of BC-PGPE composite. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated the chemical interaction of PGPE with BC nanofibers. BC-PGPE composite held 97 % water of its dry weight and retained it for more than 48 h. The BC-PGPE composite exhibited better reswelling capabilities than pristine BC after three consecutive re-wetting cycles. The antibacterial activity of the BC-PGPE composite was determined via minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), disc diffusion, and plate count methods. The PGPE extract showed good antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative), both in the form of extract and composite with BC, with relatively better activity against the former. The BC-PGPE composite produced a 17 mm zone of inhibition against S. aureus, while no inhibition zone was formed against E. coli. Furthermore, BC-PGPE composite caused a 100 % and 50 % reduction in the growth of S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. The findings of this study indicate that BC-PGPE composite could be a promising antibacterial wound dressing material.

Potential Applications of Bacterial Cellulose in Environmental and Pharmaceutical Sectors.

Biopolymers and their composites have been extensively investigated in recent years for multiple applications, especially in environmental, medical, and pharmaceutical fields. Bacterial cellulose (BC) has emerged as a novel biomaterial owing to its nontoxic, high-liquid absorbing and holding capacity, drug-carrying ability, and pollutant absorbing features. Additionally, its web-shaped three-dimensional (3D) structure and hydrogen bonding sites have incited a combination of various nanoparticles, polymers, and other materials with BC in the form of composites. Such BC-based composites have been developed through in-situ, ex-situ, and solution casting methods for targeted applications, such as air and water filters, controlled drug delivery systems, wound dressing materials, and tissue regeneration. This review details the production and development of BCbased composites with different materials and by various methods. It further describes various applications of BC-based composites in the environmental and pharmaceutical sectors, with specific examples from the recent literature. This review could potentially appeal a wide readership in these two emerging fields, where novel and advanced materials for different applications have been developed on a regular basis using BC as the base material.