Facile strategy for the development of polyglucopyranose–silver hydrogel/films for antimicrobial applications

Abstract

In this paper, we report a facile strategy for the development of silver nanoparticle entrapped polyglucopyranose based green nanocomposite films/hydrogels through in situ polymerization and reduction and demonstrated its antimicrobial applications against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The polyglucopyranose used for the preparation of the nanocomposite film was isolated from under-utilized jackfruit seeds using a facile strategy. Films were studied for their optical, structural, swelling, and visco-elastic properties. The morphology of the prepared hydrogels was studied by SEM, TEM, and AFM. The excellent antimicrobial activity of these films against Escherichia coli and Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria suggested its application as an antibacterial agent for Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Antifungal properties of the hydrogel were studied against the fungus Candida albicans. All these excellent results reveal that these green nanocomposite films can be utilized as environmentally friendly antimicrobial films in medical applications.