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Wound dressing is a vital component of wound infection management specially by immunocompromised patients due to accidents that caused injuries. Biodegradable hydrogel-based wound dressings are being developed to acquire the advantage of high swelling capacity and being environment friendly at the same time. The study involves development of hydrogels using solution casting method with different ratio of rice bran starch. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength and swelling capacity were determined. The hydrogel developed with 7% starch emerged with comparable tensile strength and swelling capacity with the available wound dressing in the market. FT-IR spectra confirmed the crosslinking of PVA and starch while SEM images revealed that the hydrogel is not porous. Drug loading capacity of the hydrogel was determined to be 83.48% with PBS which is higher than with water. Results suggest that the developed hydrogel has great potential for wound dressing application with the advantage of being biodegradable.

This study explores the influence of varying biochar rates and planting distances on the growth and yield of inbred rice. The randomized complete block design (RCBD) implemented a two-factorial design with four biochar rates (none, 25 MT/ha, 20 MT/ha, 15 MT/ha) and three planting distances (20 cm x 20 cm, 20 cm x 25 cm, 20 cm x 30 cm). The 20 MT/ha biochar application (A3) manifested the highest mean outcomes for plant height, productive tillers, panicle length, weight of 1,000 grains, filled grains percentage, and estimated yield. However, the highest mean biomass yield was observed with 25 MT/ha biochar (A2). The 20 cm x 20 cm planting distance (B1) displayed the highest mean panicle length, while B2 (20 cm x 25 cm) produced the highest filled grains percentage and lowest unfilled grains percentage. B3 (20 cm x 30 cm) showed the highest mean values for plant height, productive tillers, biomass yield, estimated yield, and weight of 1,000 grains. The highest yield and return on investment (ROI) were seen in Treatment 6 (25 MT/ha of biochar at a 20 cm x 30 cm planting distance), revealing that increased biochar application results in higher yield at a 20 cm x 30 cm planting distance. The findings suggest that biochar application can augment the growth and yield of inbred rice across diverse planting distances.

Introduction and aim. The use of carbon nanodots (C-nanodots) synthesized from Kamias leaves for developing antibacterial wound dressings has gained attention due to their potential in promoting wound healing and contraction. To extract Kamias leaves, synthesize C-nanodots through microwave-assisted pyrolysis, characterize the synthesized C-nanodots, and test the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel infused with C-nanodots for antibacterial activity and wound contraction in Sprague Dawley rats. Material and methods. Kamias leaves extract was used to synthesize C-nanodots with varying amounts of monoethanolamine. The C-nanodots were characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, electron microscope, and the paper disk method. The PVA hydrogel infused with C-nanodots was tested for antibacterial activity and wound contraction in Sprague Dawley rats. Results. The synthesized C-nanodots exhibited antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Subtilis bacillus, with a zone of inhibition ranging from 15 mm to 23.6 mm at different concentrations. The carbon nanodots-PVA hydrogel patch showed potential wound healing ability, with significant differences in wound contraction compared to the positive and negative controls. Conclusion. C-nanodots synthesized from Kamias extract have potential applications in antibacterial and wound healing fields. However, further studies are required to investigate the mechanism of action and potential side effects of using carbon nanodots in these applications.