title: Biotechnologically produced microbial alginate dressings show enhanced gel forming capacity compared to commercial alginate dressings of marine origin.
abstract: Marine alginate fibre dressings are well established in wound management. Alginate fibres can absorb plenty of wound exudate due to their gel forming abilities and ion exchange. Alginates from bacteria have never been studied for medical applications so far, although the microbial polymer raises expectations for improved gelling capacity due to its unique O-acetylation. To prove the gelling capacity of bacterial alginate, we extracted the co-polymer from fermentation of the soil bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii ATCC 9046, cultivated on crude glycerol as an alternative carbon source. Bacterial alginate was isolated in high purity and extruded by a wet spinning method. Fibre structure and properties were characterised by infrared spectroscopy, NMR, GPC, scanning electron microscopy and tensile testing. The fibres could be processed into biocompatible needle web dressings, which showed more than twice the gel formation in saline compared to commercial dressings made of marine alginates. Gelled dressings of bacterial alginate formed stable hydrogels of sufficient shape and strength for wound healing applications. This work suggests that the increased gel formation of bacterial alginate from A. vinelandii may be optimal for the preparation of novel wound dressings.
authors: Department of Hygiene, Environment and Medicine, Hohenstein Institutes, Schlosssteige 1, 74357, Boennigheim, Germany, d.hoefer@hohenstein.de.
authors: Dirk
authors: D
authors: Hoefer
authors: Julia K
authors: JK
authors: Schnepf
authors: Timo R
authors: TR
authors: Hammer
authors: Melissa
authors: M
authors: Fischer
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Marquardt
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D016948:Azotobacter vinelandii / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001684:Biological Dressings; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D005782:Gels / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D013045:Species Specificity; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D001688:Biological Products; D005782:Gels; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D005990:Glycerol