Functionalization and Antibacterial Applications of Cellulose-Based Composite Hydrogels

Abstract

Pathogens, especially drug-resistant pathogens caused by the abuse of antibiotics, have become a major threat to human health and public health safety. The exploitation and application of new antibacterial agents is extremely urgent. As a natural biopolymer, cellulose has recently attracted much attention due to its excellent hydrophilicity, economy, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. In particular, the preparation of cellulose-based hydrogels with excellent structure and properties from cellulose and its derivatives has received increasing attention thanks to the existence of abundant hydrophilic functional groups (such as hydroxyl, carboxy, and aldehyde groups) within cellulose and its derivatives. The cellulose-based hydrogels have broad application prospects in antibacterial-related biomedical fields. The latest advances of preparation and antibacterial application of cellulose-based hydrogels has been reviewed, with a focus on the antibacterial applications of composite hydrogels formed from cellulose and metal nanoparticles; metal oxide nanoparticles; antibiotics; polymers; and plant extracts. In addition, the antibacterial mechanism and antibacterial characteristics of different cellulose-based antibacterial hydrogels were also summarized. Furthermore, the prospects and challenges of cellulose-based antibacterial hydrogels in biomedical applications were also discussed.

Biosynthesis of MCC/IL/Ag-AgCl NPs by Cellulose-Based Nanocomposite for Medical Antibiofilm Applications

“…Our results also showed that cellulosic materials with excellent physical and biological properties are favorable candidates for biomedical products, due to their low cytotoxicity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility …”

Novel Trends in Hydrogel Development for Biomedical Applications: A Review

“…Cellulose-based hydrogels are a promising adsorbent biomaterial and present several advantages compared to other conventional synthetic adsorbents, due to their low cost and high abundance, considerable biocompatibility, biodegradability, nontoxicity, good thermal/chemical stability and excellent adsorption capacity. However, the main inconvenience of cellulose is that it cannot be used in its natural form like other biopolymers due to the abundance of hydroxyl groups; however, thanks to those groups, as well as other hydrophilic functional groups, namely carboxyl and aldehyde groups, it can be functionalized through several chemical reactions to form cellulose-based hydrogels [ 118 , 119 , 120 ]. Hu et al (2022) developed an aminocelullose-dialdehyde xylan composite hydrogel with silver (Ag), synthesized via green method by Schiff-base reaction cross-linking, followed by an immersion step in silver nitrate solution, which exhibited excellent antibacterial properties against E. coli and promising wound healing performance [ 121 ].…”

Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Laboratory for an Integrated Chemistry/Biology Program: Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs)-Cellulose Composite Materials with Antimicrobial Activity

“…The mechanism of antimicrobial action of AgNPs is not yet fully understood, but various studies have shown that many different biochemical pathways can be affected, leading to cellular death. There are four possible mechanisms by which AgNPs exhibit antimicrobial activity: cell membrane destruction, formation of reactive oxygen species by silver catalysis, inhibition of ATP production, and inhibition of DNA replication upon silver penetration into the cell. − The mechanisms of activity can be discussed in the context of both microbiology and biochemistry.…”