This study intends to fabricate new biodegradable and antimicrobial membranes based on crosslinked gelatin/chitosan biopolymers. Cinnamaldehyde was incorporated into membranes for boosting their antimicrobial activities. FTIR spectroscopy and electronic spectrum analysis were used to prove their chemical structures, while SEM and TGA analysis were applied to investigate the morphological changes and the thermal properties of the crosslinked membranes. Moreover, ion exchange capacity, wettability and mechanical analysis were also conducted to get more information about the physicochemical properties for the developed membranes. Four different types of bacteria have been used for studying the antibacterial activities of the crosslinked membranes (one gram-positive and three gram-negative bacteria). The results showed a significant augmentation in the inhibition percent with increasing cinnamaldehyde content in the membrane matrix. Besides, hemocompatibility, biodegradability, and cytotoxicity studies were performed and the findings emphasized that the as-fabricated biodegradable gelatin/chitosan/cinnamaldehyde membranes could be efficiently used as antibacterial dressers for ameliorating the wound healing.
Keywords: Antibacterial membranes; Chitosan; Cinnamaldehyde; Cytotoxicity; Gelatin; Wound dressings.
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