A nanostructure resembling a carnation may one day be utilized in bandages to enhance the healing of wounds. Researchers have published findings in ACS Applied Bio Materials indicating that laboratory evaluations of their nanoflower-coated dressings exhibit properties that are antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and biocompatible. They suggest that these results indicate the potential of tannic acid and copper(II) phosphate-enhanced nanoflower bandages as effective treatments for infections and inflammatory ailments.
Nanoflowers are tiny structures that can self-organize. Their expansive surface area offers ample opportunities for attaching medication molecules, making these blossoms particularly effective for drug delivery. For their bandages, Fatemeh Ahmadpoor, Pier Francesco Ferrari, and their team selected copper(II) phosphate and tannic acid due to both compounds’ antibiotic and anti-inflammatory benefits.
After cultivating their nanoflowers in a saline solution, the researchers affixed these bio-inspired structures to strips made of electrospun nanofiber fabric. During testing, the nanoflower-coated bandages were successful in deactivating a wide range of cultured bacteria—including E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus—and their antibiotic-resistant biofilms while also neutralizing reactive oxygen species without causing harm to lab-grown human cells.
According to Ahmadpoor and Ferrari, these nanoflower-coated bandages mark a significant breakthrough by offering an effective, natural, and budget-friendly approach to fighting infections and speeding up wound healing, which could potentially reshape treatment protocols.
The authors acknowledge support from the Italian Ministry of University and Research.
