EFFECT OF INCORPORATING CELLULOSE NANOFIBERS AND LEMONGRASS ESSENTIAL OIL IN POLYVINYL ALCOHOL-POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL/GLYCERIN HYDROGEL FOR WOUND DRESSING

Hydrogels attract increased interest as wound dressings due to their biomimetic properties, creating a moist environment conducive to natural wound healing. In this study, a PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG hydrogel incorporating cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and lemongrass essential oil (LG) into the polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol/glycerin (PVA-PEG/gly) hydrogel via the freeze-thaw method was developed. The addition of CNFs and LG aimed to improve the physicochemical and antibacterial aspects of the hydrogel. Optimal hydrogel composition, determined through response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD), consisted of 3.5% (w/v) CNFs and 3% (v/v) LG concentrations, resulting in an optimal moisture retention capability (MRC) of 37.69 +/- 0.54%. The optimized PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG demonstrated impressive characteristics: a swelling capacity of 176.89 +/- 1.56%, a gel fraction of 78.89 +/- 0.42%, and a porosity of 47.51 +/- 0.53%. FESEM images revealed the relatively porous nature of PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG hydrogels. Furthermore, the hydrogel exhibited excellent resistance against S. aureus and B. subtilis bacteria, along with notable tensile properties of 1.44 MPa. These findings underscore the promising attributes of the PVA-PEG/gly-CNF-LG hydrogel, positioning it as a versatile and effective wound-healing dressing with significant antimicrobial properties.