Poly(N-vinyl caprolactam-co-maleic anhydride)-Grafted Cotton Gauze with Antimicrobial Properties for Their Potential Use as Wound Dressings

Medical cotton gauzes were modified by grafting poly(N-vinylcaprolactam-co-maleic anhydride) (gauze-g-(PVCL-co-MA)) through free radical polymerization to prepare a novel wound dressing with antimicrobial and drug delivery capabilities. Several gauze-g-(PVCL-co-MA) were synthesized, each characterized by distinct grafting percentage of 23, 40, and 100% labeled as VMG1, VMG2, and VMG3, respectively. Polymer grafting was verified using methods such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM), and swelling studies. The grafted cotton gauzes were loaded with vancomycin and tested as drug-eluting systems, exhibited considerable loading capacity and over 80% release. The antibacterial activity was evaluated against S. aureus (ATCC 29213) according to the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS Z 2801 method. They showed growth inhibition for this microorganism. Moreover, they showed good biocompatibility for the 1132SK and SaOS-2 cell lines. These results suggest that the gauze-g-(PVCL-co-MA) could be used as antimicrobial and drug-eluting wound dressings in the biomedical field.