Silver sulfadiazine loaded nanofibers for burn infections

Nanofibers, loaded with different pharmaceutical agents, are being used extensively as advanced wound care dressings. Silver sulfadiazine is generally used for infection prevention in various burn wounds among these antimicrobial agents. The present study develops silver sulfadiazine within biopolymeric nanofibers using the post-treatment method. Sodium alginate (SA) and polyvinyl alcohol were selected due to their biocompatibility. Box-Behnken statistical technique optimized composite PVA/SA nanofibers loaded with a silver salt. The results revealed that smooth and defect-free fibers were produced by decreasing the concentration of silver salt. Composite PVA/SA/Ag nanofibers were post-treatment with 1% sodium sulfadiazine (NaSD) and calcium chloride solution. NaSD was converted into silver sulfadiazine (SSD) within the nanofibers due to ion exchange. Developed nanofibers showed good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. In-vitro drug release study showed initial quick-release followed by a controlled release for 72 h, making it suitable for wound care applications.