Bacterial Cellulose-Based Superabsorbent Hydrogel for Wet Wound Dressing

Absorption of exudates is crucial for moist wound treatment, particularly in chronic wound care applications. However, controlling wound exudates with current gel-based wound dressings has challenges, such as the risk of bacterial infection during long-term transportation and use. In this study, a bacterial cellulose (BC)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite hydrogel (PBC) was prepared by a simple method using citric acid (CA) as the crosslinking agent. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the reaction between the carboxyl group of CA and the hydroxyl group of the BC-PVA hydrogel enhanced its hydrophilicity. Sol-gel analysis confirmed that an increase in the PVA content led to stronger crosslinking of the polymer network in the hydrogel. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction results showed that at low PVA concentrations, the tendency to connect with cellulose chains and crystallinity increased. In addition, the hydrogel dressing demonstrated excellent water absorption capacity; the swelling rate reached 3485.3% within one hour, and no cytotoxic effect was observed on the L929 fibroblast line in vitro. The designed hydrogel exhibited the ability to resist bacteria. Therefore, the new PBC biomaterial has certain potential for various applications, particularly as a highly absorbent dressing.