Drug loaded thermoresponsive and cytocompatible chitosan based hydrogel as a potential wound dressing

There is a demand for a wound dressing which can be removed from the application site easily without causing any pain or discomfort. A material removable by manipulating the temperature (e.g. moisten with ice cold water), from that point of view, seems to have considerable potential. Here we report a new formulation consisting of thiolated chitosan with poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) loaded with ciprofloxacin. The thermoresponsive material was cytocompatible and was found to modulate the release of the incorporated ciprofloxacin in a sustained fashion reflecting its suitability to protect a wound for a prolonged period. The film exhibited adequate mechanical strength and was removable from a substrate (e.g. tissue culture plate) by lowering the temperature. The combination of thiolated chitosan with poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) and ciprofloxacin showed antibacterial properties to the virulent bacteria E coli supporting its potential as a wound dressing.