ABSTRACT The rise of antibiotic resistance necessitates the development of non‐antibiotic antibacterial dressings with high biocompatibility and reliable wound‐repair performance. In this work, chitosan/cellulose ether composite antibacterial membranes (CCE‐ACM) were fabricated from chitosan, hydroxyethyl cellulose, and hydroxypropyl cellulose, and further reinforced through sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) cross‐linking. Response‐surface optimization enabled the construction of a compact phosphodiester‐linked network with improved mechanical strength, controlled swelling behavior, and stable moisture regulation. The membranes exhibited excellent cytocompatibility (> 80% viability) and strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , with the optimized CHEPCS formulation showing the most pronounced inhibition. In vivo, CCE‐ACM significantly accelerated wound closure, achieving near‐complete healing by Day 15 and promoting reduced inflammation, enhanced re‐epithelialization, and more mature collagen deposition. These results demonstrate that the optimized CHEPCS membrane integrates effective antibacterial activity, favorable biocompatibility, and enhanced wound‐healing performance, representing a promising non‐antibiotic dressing for advanced wound care applications.
Zhang et al. (Sat,) studied this question.