Sustainable Antibacterial and Wound-Healing Hydrogels: Croton confertus–Loaded Bacterial Cellulose Composites

Abstract

The development of sustainable, plant-derived antimicrobial polymeric biomaterials is essential in addressing the global rise of multidrug-resistant infections. 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, biocompatible, and therapeutically potent polymeric biomaterial for next-generation wound-care and antimicrobial applications.