Bacterial Cellulose as a Versatile Biomaterial for Wound Dressing Application

Abstract

Chronic ulcers are among the main causes of morbidity and mortality due to the high probability of infection and sepsis and therefore exert a significant impact on public health resources. Numerous types of dressings are used for the treatment of skin ulcers-each with different advantages and disadvantages. Bacterial cellulose (BC) has received enormous interest in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and medical fields due to its biological, physical, and mechanical characteristics, which enable the creation of polymer composites and blends with broad applications. In the medical field, BC was at first used in wound dressings, tissue regeneration, and artificial blood vessels. This material is suitable for treating various skin diseases due its considerable fluid retention and medication loading properties. BC membranes are used as a temporary dressing for skin treatments due to their excellent fit to the body, reduction in pain, and acceleration of epithelial regeneration. BC-based composites and blends have been evaluated and synthesized both in vitro and in vivo to create an ideal microenvironment for wound healing. This review describes different methods of producing and handling BC for use in the medical field and highlights the qualities of BC in detail with emphasis on biomedical reports that demonstrate its utility. Moreover, it gives an account of biomedical applications, especially for tissue engineering and wound dressing materials reported until date. This review also includes patents of BC applied as a wound dressing material.

Keywords: bacterial cellulose; biomedical application; biotechnology; polymer composites.

Figure 1

(a) Image of a bacterial cellulose film; (b) Microscopic image of Komagataeibacter hansenii during Gram strain test; (c) Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of Komagataeibacter hansenii nanofibrils.

Figure 2

Bacterial cellulose appearance in static and agitated manners.

Figure 3

Schematic synthesis of BC film by cellulose-producing microorganism followed by production of bacterial cellulose with additive incorporated and characteristics as wound dressing.

Figure 4

Additional, intrinsic, and improved properties of bacterial cellulose for wound dressing. Modified from Khan et al. [68].

Figure 5

Bacterial cellulose publications (Google Scholar search system, with the descriptors: ‘bacterial cellulose’ and ‘medicine’ and ‘bacterial cellulose’ and ‘wound dressing).