The increasing incidence and severity of hospital-acquired infections, especially those caused by drug-resistant bacteria, call for the development of novel strategies to face this concerning reality. In this study, a one-step enzymatic approach was used to synthesize multifunctional hydrogels of thiolated gelatin and lignin capped silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) as therapeutic platforms for treatment of chronic wound infections. Solvent-free green synthesis of AgNPs was performed in presence of lignin biopolymer serving as both reducing and doping agent to improve the stability of the colloidal dispersion. The resulting AgNPs were about 20 nm in diameter and did not agglomerate even after one month storage. The lignin-doped AgNPs were highly efficient against a panel of nine Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including multi-drug resistant phenotypes. The particles were further incorporated enzymatically into biopolymer hydrogels with antioxidant capacity and potential to inhibit major enzymes governing the chronicity in wounds, such as the myeloperoxidase and collagenase. Moreover, these nanocomposite hydrogels eradicated <i>S. aureus</i> bacterial biofilms by up to 80 %. The demonstrated bioactivities of the hydrogels together with their good biocompatibility and high swelling capacity make them suitable for chronic wound care.

Biopolymer hydrogels embedded with lignin-silver nanocomposites with broad activity against antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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