Biorefinery applied to the synthesis and characterization of bioactive wound dressings based on cellulose nanofibrils and various plant extracts

The present study focuses on the development of membranes composed of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and chitosan (CS), combined with various plant oils, with a primary emphasis on biomedical applications, particularly as bioactive wound dressings. After oil incorporation, structural changes in the membranes were discovered through SEM scanning. Crystallinity was measured with X-ray diffraction (XRD), and functional groups were identified with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The mechanical strength of the membranes was characterized through tensile tests using a universal testing machine, and the antibacterial activity was determined by counting colony-forming units (CFUs) in vitro biological assays. It was discovered that the incorporation of essential oils resulted in increased porosity, changes in crystallinity patterns, and modifications in the functional groups of the polymeric matrix. In particular, membranes containing Thymus vulgaris and Anethum graveolens oils exhibited notable improvements in mechanical properties and antibacterial activity. The membrane containing A. graveolens essential oil demonstrated the highest antibacterial efficacy, with an approximately 99.3% reduction in CFU/cm 2 compared with the control, followed by membranes containing T. vulgaris (~ 93.3% reduction), L. nobilis (~ 88.9% reduction), O. vulgare (~ 84.4% reduction), and M. frondosus (~ 50.0% reduction), attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds such as carvacrol, thymol, and p -cymene. Structural, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties combine to suggest that these membranes are a promising approach for developing sustainable and effective bioactive wound dressings. Further research, including in vivo tests, is necessary for clinical application to validate their efficacy and safety.