A novel class of antimicrobial rapid-setting liquid bandage

-Anwita Sarkar,  Team BioXone

Bandaging is a pivotal component of wound care management. The myth that wounds heal faster when left uncovered is a fallacy. Rather covering the wound and keeping continual attention on the bandages hastens the healing process and protects from further infection. The conventional bandaging is a labor-intensive process that requires regular changing and antimicrobial under-dressing. These limitations influenced the development of rapid-set liquid bandages as an efficient alternative to conventional bandage.

However, these rapid-set liquid bandages are neither biodegradable nor antimicrobial inherently. A recent study shows that the incorporation of antibacterial metal ions like copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), which when employed with shellac-a natural safe resin demonstrated marked antibacterial contact properties and showed improved protection by maintaining a sterile environment around the wound. The presence of Zn and Cu enhances shellac barrier adhesion on a semi-rigid fabric surface exposed to an aqueous environment. For poly-bacterial bovine wound infection ‘digital dermatitis’, the complex of Zn/Cu shellac have shown to adhere rapidly over pre-applied antibiotic and are self degraded after 7 days.

Thus this novel class of robust sterile bandage with antimicrobial properties provides a natural healing process and also removes the necessity for both a dressing and a bandage.

This article has been published in Nature, Scientific Reports

Source:

Bastos C.A.P., Thom W.D., Reilly B., Batalha I.L., Rogers M.L.B., McCrone I.S., Faria N., Powell J.J.Robust rapid-setting antibacterial liquid bandages. (2020), Scientific Reports volume 10, Article number: 15067 

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71586-7