Infection Control with Antimicrobial Solid-State ZnO Nanoparticles on Silk Fibroin Gauze

Conventional antibiotic treatments for wound infections have the risk of developing microbial resistance, necessitating the search for innovative, alternative solutions like nanoparticles as advanced antibiotics. This work introduces a novel approach for managing acute and chronic wounds by creating an active wound dressing designed to both protect and eliminate bacteria from the injury site. We focused on the electroless deposition of large zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs,), aiming for a particle size of around 200 nm to reduce cytotoxicity, onto electrospinned silk fibroin (SF) gauze. We assessed the biocompatibility and antimicrobial effectiveness of the ZnO NP-embedded silk dressing against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. Our analysis indicates that incorporating ZnO nanoparticles into silk wound dressings maintains biocompatibility, achieving 70% cell viability while suppressing the growth of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, particularly during the initial 24 h after application. By employing 200 nm particle sizes, we facilitated a significant release of zinc ions without producing harmful reactive oxygen species (ROSs) that could damage both bacteria and host tissues. These findings emphasize the therapeutic potential of bioresorbable bandages enhanced with large ZnO nanoparticles, presenting an innovative approach to clinical wound treatment.