Cellulose Hydrogel with Hyaluronic Acid and Silver Nanoparticles: Sustained-Release Formulation with Antibacterial Properties against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Mirian Sumini, Clara Ruiz de Souza, Gabriel Jonathan Sousa Andrade, Igor Roberto Cabral Oliveira, Sara Scandorieiro, César Augusto Tischer, Renata Katsuko Takayama Kobayashi, Gerson Nakazato
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria resistant to conventional antibiotics represent a global challenge and justify the need for new antimicrobials capable of combating bacterial multidrug resistance. This study describes the development of a topical hydrogel in a formulation composed of cellulose, hyaluronic acid (HA), and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. AgNPs as an antimicrobial agent were synthesized by a new method based on green chemistry, using arginine as a reducing agent and potassium hydroxide as a carrier. Scanning electron microscopy showed the formation of a composite between cellulose and HA in a three-dimensional network of cellulose fibrils, with thickening of the fibrils and filling of spaces by HA with the presence of pores. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and particle size distribution for dynamic light scattering (DLS) confirmed the formation of AgNPs with peak absorption at ~430 nm and 57.88 nm. AgNPs dispersion showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.5 µg/mL. The time–kill assay showed that after 3 h of exposure to the hydrogel containing AgNPs, there were no viable cells, corresponding to a bactericidal efficacy of 99.999% in the 95% confidence level. We obtained a hydrogel that is easy to apply, with sustained release and bactericidal properties against strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa at low concentrations of the agent.