Is it possible to use wound dressings as carriers of bacteriophages and lactobacilli? In vitro study

   Objective: To find wound dressings which could incorporate solutions of bacteriophages and lactobacilli and could have potential to overcome
microorganism resistance to antibiotic therapy.

   Material and methods. Physicochemical and biological properties of 12 samples of wound coverings of different structures and properties which had been used for combustion wounds were analyzed. Wound dressings differed in their keystone structure (biopolymers of natural and artificial origin) and in biodegradability. The following properties of wound dressings were studied in vitro: absorption, biological inertness and duration of viability / lytic activity of staphylococcal bacteriophage and antagonistic activity of L. plantarum inoculum. In addition, own antibacterial activity of wound dressings against S. aureus culture was studied too.

   Research results. Among the studied wound dressings, the largest mass of liquid can be absorbed by the following wound dressings: Likosorb®, Fibrosorb®, Biatraum®, Hitokol-S®. All studied wound coverings are biologically inert towards the staphylococcal bacteriophage (they ensure the formation of zones of S. aureus lysis). Viability of L. plantarum inoculum was promoted by wound coverings OPSITE® Post-Op Visible, Fibrosorb®, Algipran®, Biatraum®. Wound coverings OPSITE® Post-Op Visible, Fibrosorb®, Likosorb® maintain the lytic activity of staphylococcal bacteriophage up to 7 days. L. plantarum viability for up to 2 days was registered in Fibrosorb® wound covering, up to 3 days – in OPSITE® Post-Op Visible. Wound coverings Chitokol-S®, Kollakhit® FA, Algipran® and Aquacel Ag® have their own antibacterial activity against S. aureus; when they were saturated with staphylococcal bacteriophage solution, their antibacterial activity increased.

   Conclusion. Wound coverings with sponge structure based on chitosan and polyurethane exhibit the greatest absorption level of inoculum solutions of L. plantarum and staphylococcal bacteriophage maintaining their viability / lytic activity.

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