Gellan gum/guar gum films incorporated with honey as potential wound dressings

In this article, the solvent casting technique was used to prepare wound dressing films based on honey incorporated gellan gum and guar gum biopolymers, and presented the effect of the honey concentration (in the range of 0-10 g on each film). The film structures were assessed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The physical properties of the films were investigated by swelling, degradation, mechanical tests, and water vapor transmission rate. The swelling capacity of the films decreased with an increase in the honey amount, and the presence of honey increased the degradation percentage of the films. The incorporation of honey significantly enhanced the tensile strength of the film, and the increase in honey concentration caused a decrease in the water vapor transmission rate values. The antioxidant activity of the films was determined by DPPH assay, and the films showed good antioxidant abilities. The biocompatibility of the films was evaluated by using an MTT assay with biofilm extract against human skin fibroblast cells, and the wound healing activity of the films was evaluated via in vitro scratch assay. The obtained outcomes showed that the synthesized non-cytotoxic and biocompatible films supported cell migration and proliferation.