Publication

Abstract : Polymicrobial wound infections often requires high dosage of antibiotics and fungicides. However, prolonged antimicrobial therapies are associated with potential systemic side effects and increased risk for the development of drug resistant microbes. With this focus, we aimed at developing chitosan bandages loaded with anti-microbial (ciprofloxacin and fluconazole) drug loaded nanoparticles for a sustained slow release of drugs. The particle sizes of the prepared ciprofloxacin and flucanazole loaded fibrin nanoparticles were observed to be 132 ± 16 and 175 ± 17 nm respectively. The chitosan bandages with drug containing nanoparticles were flexible with adequate tensile strength and porosity of 80-85%, which would favour excess exudates absorption in an infectious wound. The in vitro toxicity of the bandages studied against human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell line proved its cytocompatibility. Ciprofloxacin and fluconazole from bandages released upto 14 days in a sustained manner. The antimicrobial drugs loaded bandages showed significant antimicrobial activity towards polymicrobial cultures of C. albicans, E. coli & S. aureus in vitro and ex vivo. In vivo studies were conducted on polymicrobial infected rat wound model. A significant reduction in microbial load was obtained upon application of antimicrobial drug loaded chitosan bandages in vivo.