Bacterial cellulose–Aloe praetermissa hydrogels for enhanced antibacterial and biocompatible wound care

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Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a superior biopolymer for wound healing due to its high water-holding ability, exceptional biocompatibility, and extracellular matrix-like structure. However, its therapeutic efficacy is limited by its lack of inherent antimicrobial activity. This study presents a novel BC– Aloe praetermissa latex (BC-AL) composite designed to enhance the antibacterial and wound healing properties of BC-based dressings. BC hydrogels were synthesized utilizing low-cost fruit waste as a carbon source, and Aloe praetermissa latex (AL) was incorporated via an ex-situ method. Successful integration of Aloe-derived bioactive compounds within the BC network was confirmed by SEM and FTIR analyses. Antibacterial assays demonstrated that BC-AL composites significantly inhibited the proliferation of Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ), achieving approximately 60% reduction compared to controls, attributed to the presence of bioactive anthraquinones and polysaccharides in Aloe latex. Moreover, BC-AL composites exhibited superior water retention, enhanced reswelling stability, and improved biocompatibility and wound heling potential relative to pristine BC. Collectively, these results position BC-AL composites as strong candidates for next-generation wound care applications, offering a synergistic combination of sustained moisture retention, antimicrobial efficacy, and structural resilience. • First report on bacterial cellulose- Aloe praetermissa (BC-AL) composite hydrogel for wound healing. • Cost-effective BC synthesis achieved using fruit waste as a sustainable carbon source. • BC-AL composites exhibited ~60% antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli . • Aloe incorporation enhanced BC's water retention and reswelling stability for wound care. • BC-AL composites accelerated wound closure with near-complete healing in 7 days.