FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SILK FIBROIN BASED BIOMATERIALS AS NOVEL WOUND HEALING AGENT IN SKIN TISSUE ENGINEERING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ijap.2026v18i4.58008Keywords:
Biomaterial characterization, Composite wound dressing film, Doxycycline-loaded film, In vitro antimicrobial activity, Silk fibroinAbstract
Objective: To develop and optimize a silk fibroin–based composite film incorporating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), hyaluronic acid, and doxycycline, and to evaluate its antibacterial activity for potential in-vitro wound dressing applications.
Methods: Films were prepared using varying concentrations of silk fibroin, PVA, and HEC. A 2³ factorial design was employed to evaluate the individual and interactive effects of silk fibroin (A), PVA (B), and HEC (C) on in-vitro drug release and drug content. The optimized formulation was subjected to physicochemical characterization, including thickness, surface pH, folding endurance, drug content uniformity, and bio-adhesion strength. In-vitro antibacterial activity evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Stability studies were conducted over a period of two months.
Results: Drug release from the formulations ranged from 79.6% to 96.41%, while drug content varied between 85 and 98 mg. PVA significantly enhanced drug release (p = 0.0482), whereas the A×C interaction significantly influenced drug loading (p = 0.0282). The optimized formulation (NS18), containing 0.10 g silk fibroin, 1 g PVA, and 0.05 g HEC, showed 87.16% drug release and 93.12 mg drug content. Films exhibited uniform thickness (0.21–0.26 mm), skin-compatible pH (6.3–6.7), high folding endurance (265–305 folds), strong bio-adhesion (26.9–32.5 g), and pronounced antibacterial activity. Stability studies confirmed minimal changes in drug content and release.
Conclusion: The optimized silk fibroin composite film demonstrated controlled drug release, favourable mechanical and bio-adhesive properties, and effective antimicrobial activity under in-vitro conditions, indicating its potential suitability as a biomaterial for in-vitro wound dressing applications. Further in-vivo and clinical investigations are required to establish its therapeutic efficacy.
References
[1] Wu SH, Zhou ZS, Li Y, et al. Advancements in diabetic foot ulcer research: Focus on mesenchymal stem cells and their exosomes. Heliyon [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2026 Jan 26];10(17):e37031.
[2] Bhardwaj H, Khute S, Sahu R, et al. Advanced Drug Delivery System for Management of Chronic Diabetes Wound Healing. Curr Drug Targets. 2023;24(16):1239–1259.
[3] Valentina Y, Pandian J. A NOVEL WOUND DRESSING WITH SILKWORM COCOON SCAFFOLD TO FASTEN WOUND HEALING: AN IN VIVO STUDY USING RAT EXCISION WOUND MODEL. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. 2024;17(10).
[4] Chen Q, Wu K, Yao J, et al. Adhesive silk fibroin/magnesium composite films and their application for removable wound dressing. Biomater Sci. 2025;13(1):287–298.
[5] Panda J, Pal A, Panda P, et al. ENHANCED WOUND HEALING USING ANTHOCYANIN-LOADED SILK SERICIN/POLYVINYL ALCOHOL NANOFIBERS: A BIOMATERIAL-BASED APPROACH. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. 2025;18(12):45–53.
[6] Amiri Z, Molavi AM, Amani A, et al. Fabrication, Characterization and Wound-Healing Properties of Core–Shell SF@chitosan/ZnO/ Astragalus Arbusculinus Gum Nanofibers. Nanomedicine. 2024;19(6):499–518.
[7] Qin Y, Ge G, Yang P, et al. An Update on Adipose‐Derived Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine: Where Challenge Meets Opportunity. Advanced Science. 2023;10(20).
[8] Kramar A, Rodríguez Ortega I, González-Gaitano G, et al. Solution casting of cellulose acetate films: influence of surface substrate and humidity on wettability, morphology and optical properties. Cellulose. 2023;30(4):2037–2052.
[9] Pang Q, Yang F, Jiang Z, et al. Smart wound dressing for advanced wound management: Real-time monitoring and on-demand treatment. Mater Des [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2026 Jan 26];229:111917.
[10] Kim JM, Kim CH, Kang SM, et al. Advanced strategies for the management of patients with diabetic foot ulcers: a comprehensive review. Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(1):47–59.
[11] Gunasekaran S. Clinical Efficacy of Type I Collagen Skin Substitutes Versus Human Amnion/Chorion in Treating Diabetic Foot Ulcers Using 55 Patient Randomized Controlled Independent Two Trials, One in India and the Other in the USA. Biomedical Materials & Devices. 2026;4(1):97–104.
[12] Sinha A, Jena K, Bal T, et al. Preparation and assessment of fluorescent sericin-chitosan biomaterial from Antheraea mylitta for wound healing applications. Polymer Bulletin. 2026;83(3):144.
[13] Martínez Rodríguez T, Valentino C, Rodríguez Pozo FR, et al. Formulative Study and Characterization of Novel Biomaterials Based on Chitosan/Hydrolyzed Collagen Films. J Funct Biomater. 2024;15(3):69.
[14] Li Q, Wang S, Wang Z, et al. Hydrogen Bond Rearrangement of Polyvinyl Alcohol Hydrogel Achieving High Triboelectric Generation. Nano Energy. 2026;111697.
[15] Zulkifli FH, Khan S, Kabeb SM, et al. Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxyethyl Cellulose/Chitosan Incorporated with Cellulose Nanocrystal Biopolymers Network. 2024. p. 3–8.
[16] Chopra H, Bibi S, Kumar S, et al. Preparation and Evaluation of Chitosan/PVA Based Hydrogel Films Loaded with Honey for Wound Healing Application. Gels. 2022;8(2):111.
[17] Homthawornchoo W, Kaewprachu P, Pinijsuwan S, et al. Enhancing the UV-Light Barrier, Thermal Stability, Tensile Strength, and Antimicrobial Properties of Rice Starch–Gelatin Composite Films through the Incorporation of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles. Polymers (Basel). 2022;14(12):2505.
[18] Xu L, Chu Z, Zhang J, et al. Steric Effects in the Deposition Mode and Drug-Delivering Efficiency of Nanocapsule-Based Multilayer Films. ACS Omega. 2022;7(34):30321–30332.
[19] Abla KK, Mneimneh AT, Allam AN, et al. Application of Box-Behnken Design in the Preparation, Optimization, and In-Vivo Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Oral Tadalafil-Loaded Niosomal Film. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(1):173.
[20] Carra JB, Wessel KBB, Pereira GN, et al. Bioadhesive Polymeric Films Containing Rhamnolipids, An Innovative Antimicrobial Topical Formulation. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2024;25(6):177.
[21] Ikeda S, Kobayashi M, Aoki S, et al. 3D-Printed Fast-Dissolving Oral Dosage Forms via Fused Deposition Modeling Based on Sugar Alcohol and Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)—Preparation, Drug Release Studies and In Vivo Oral Absorption. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(2):395.
[22] Padmavathi R, Kalaivanan C, Raja R, et al. Antioxidant and antimicrobial studies of silver nanoparticles synthesized via chemical reduction technique. Mater Today Proc. 2022;69:1339–1345.
[23] Lyu Y, Liu Y, He H, et al. Application of Silk-Fibroin-Based Hydrogels in Tissue Engineering. Gels. MDPI; 2023.
[24] Németh Z, Csóka I, Semnani Jazani R, et al. Quality by Design-Driven Zeta Potential Optimisation Study of Liposomes with Charge Imparting Membrane Additives. Pharmaceutics. 2022;14(9):1798.
[25] Pandey M, Rani P, Adhikari L, et al. Preparation and characterization of cyclodextrin complexes of doxycycline hyclate for improved photostability in aqueous solution. J Incl Phenom Macrocycl Chem. 2022;102(3–4):271–278.
[26] Development and Validation of Novel Analytical Simultaneous Estimation Based UV Spectrophotometric Method for Doxycycline and Levofloxacin Determination. Biointerface Res Appl Chem. 2021;12(4):5458–5478.
[27] Ealla KKR, Durga CS, Sahu V, et al. Doxycycline-integrated silk fibroin hydrogel: preparation, characterizations, and antimicrobial assessment for biomedical applications. BMC Oral Health. 2025;25(1):177.
[28] Karthikeyan L, Kang HW. Recent progress in multifunctional theranostic hydrogels: the cornerstone of next-generation wound care technologies. Biomater Sci. 2025;13(16):4358–4389.
[29] Ealla KKR, Durga CS, Sahu V, et al. Doxycycline-integrated silk fibroin hydrogel: preparation, characterizations, and antimicrobial assessment for biomedical applications. BMC Oral Health. 2025;25(1).
[30] Singh V, Tripathi DK, Sharma VK, et al. Silk fibroin hydrogel: A novel biopolymer for sustained release of vancomycin drug for diabetic wound healing. J Mol Struct. 2023;1286.
[31] Indrakumar S, Dash TK, Mishra V, et al. Silk Fibroin and Its Nanocomposites for Wound Care: A Comprehensive Review. ACS Polymers Au. American Chemical Society; 2024. p. 168–188.
[32] Lyu Y, Liu Y, He H, et al. Application of Silk-Fibroin-Based Hydrogels in Tissue Engineering. Gels. 2023.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2026 AATHMIKA A., DHANUSH R., ARAVIND K., SHREE NIDHI, NAGALAKSHMI S.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.