Sustainable antibacterial and wound-healing hydrogels: Croton confertus-loaded bacterial cellulose composites

Abstract

The development of sustainable, plant-derived antimicrobial polymeric biomaterials is increasingly important for managing infections associated with wound environments, particularly in the context of rising antimicrobial resistance. In this study, low-cost bacterial cellulose (BC) was produced using waste-derived fruit media and subsequently modified with Croton confertus leaf extract (CE) through an ex situ infusion process to obtain bioactive BC–CE composites. The physicochemical structure of the composites was characterized using FE-SEM and FTIR analyses, which confirmed successful incorporation of phytochemicals into the nanofibrillar cellulose matrix and demonstrated reduced porosity, enhanced hydrogen-bonding interactions, and improved microstructural stability. BC–CE films revealed better moisture-retention capabilities than pure BC, maintaining structural stability for repeated swelling/drying cycles. Antibacterial performance indicated clear inhibition zones (1.28 cm for Staphylococcus aureus and 1.11 cm for Escherichia coli) and substantial growth containment, with 46% and 36% reductions in bacterial proliferation, respectively. In vivo wound-healing experiments further demonstrated accelerated epithelial regeneration and reduced inflammation in BC–CE-treated wounds compared to BC control dressings. Collectively, these findings highlight the synergistic benefits of integrating plant-derived phytochemicals within a sustainable BC platform, providing a cost-effective and biocompatible polymeric biomaterial with promising potential for next-generation wound-care applications with antimicrobial functionality.