Inflamed wounds are certainly not a good thing. Additionally, the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that may occur due to excessive use of medications is also problematic. Here comes a new type of cotton bandage that may help kill microbes without resorting to antibiotics. According to New Atlas, citing the journal Pharmaceutics, the bandage developed by researcher Mohsen Alishahi and his colleagues at Cornell University contains an organic compound called lawsone, also known as henna acid. This substance is found naturally in henna leaves and is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Due to its hydrophobic nature, lawsone cannot be easily mixed into a liquid solution for suspension, limiting its bioavailability, and it is not well absorbed by the body. Therefore, the scientists combined lawsone with cyclodextrin, a carbohydrate that has a hollow internal cavity and an outer surface that attracts water. By "hiding" within the cyclodextrin molecules, lawsone particles can mix well in a liquid solution.
Then, a solution of lawsone/cyclodextrin was combined with non-toxic hydroxypropyl cellulose. Using electrospinning technology, the researchers subsequently placed a uniform layer of this mixture onto a regular cotton pad. The hydroxypropyl cellulose in the innovative formulation took the form of nanocellulose fibers, increasing the surface area of the solution relative to its volume.
When tested in the lab alongside pure lawsone, the cotton coated with the innovative formulation exhibited significantly stronger antibiotic effects against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, being particularly effective against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus bacteria, which were effectively eliminated. Alishahi emphasized that "wound dressings should provide a suitable environment to facilitate healing and prevent infection," explaining that "by using completely natural materials like cotton, cyclodextrin, and lawsone, the innovative bandage can facilitate both because it possesses comprehensive antioxidant and antibacterial activity."
