Eucalyptus Essential Oil‐Doped Alginate Fibers as a Potent Antibacterial Wound Dressing

Abstract

ABSTRACT Eucalyptus essential oil (EEO) mainly consists of a natural organic compound named eucalyptol (1,8 cineole). It is a potential anti‐inflammatory, antiseptic, and antibacterial substance owing to its germicidal properties. Wound Dressing based on alginate fibers are also well known for caring of moderate‐ to highly exuding chronic and acute wounds. So, it was intended to load alginate with cineole to obtain a natural antibacterial fiber. EEO was loaded to a spinning dope of alginate. EEO‐doped alginate fibers were fabricated by wet spinning method, and then as‐spun fibers were consolidated in coagulation baths containing divalent cations. The cineol content of EEO, as its most active antibacterial agent, was measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Fibers were analyzed by scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and their tensile mechanical properties were determined by a Shirley's strength tester. Antibacterial efficiency of samples was studied by measuring their zone of inhibition against a gram‐positive organism ( Staphylococcus aureus ) in accordance with American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATTC) test method 147. The cross section of EEO‐loaded alginate fibers was rounder and their tensile mechanical properties didn't decline significantly in comparison with unloaded alginate fibers. The presence of antibacterial activity observed for loaded samples and improved by increasing the EEO content of fibers. To consider the produced antibacterial activity and intrinsic properties of alginate, EEO‐loaded alginate fibers are proposed for occlusive or semiocclusive Wound Dressing. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Technol 2014, 33, 21408; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com . DOI 10.1002/adv.21408