Development and characterization of antibacterial coatings on surgical sutures based on sodium carboxymethyl cellulose/chitosan/chlorhexidine

The layer-by-layer assembly (LBL) method was used in this work to apply antibacterial coatings to the surface of sutures. The nanofilm was created using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, chitosan, and chlorhexidine digluconate. Polyethylene terephthalate and polyamide surgical sutures were used as the substrate. At pH 5, thin, uniform coatings with the ideal number of biopolymers in the film (10 bilayers) are produced. The pH and the shape of the polyelectrolyte macromolecules determine the film's thickness and form. The morphology of the surface and the structure of the sutures after modification become homogeneous and smooth. Both treated and untreated sutures retain their mechanical strength, and there is no significant loss of tensile strength. Nanofilms obtained on the surface of the sutures showed high antimicrobial efficacy against microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Chlorhexidine incorporated into the multilayer membrane was found to have greater antimicrobial activity than sutures treated with chlorhexidine alone. Modified surgical sutures provide antibacterial qualities that last for up to 30 days in a stable, controlled manner. The results showed the prospects of applying nanofilms based on sodium carboxymethyl cellulose/chitosan/chlorhexidine to surgical sutures that can prevent the infectious consequences of surgical interventions.