Alginate-chitosan Hydrogel Patch with Beta-glucan Nanoemulsion for Antibacterial Applications

Natural polymer materials have high biocompatibility and are not toxic because they can decompose into metabolites in the body; thus, they are widely used as medical polymer materials as well as porous support materials. As a biopolymer, alginate has a negative charge; in contrast, chitosan has a positive charge. Therefore, when the two substances are mixed, they form a relatively stable structure by ionic bonding. Beta-glucan is known to contribute to material stability and have high skin penetration, skin moisturizing and soothing effects, and burn and wound healing effects. In this study, antimicrobial activity was assessed by preparing alginate-chitosan hydrogel patches containing beta-glucan nanoemulsions. This could contribute to the development of wound dressings with antibacterial properties.