Moringa oleifera/chitosan-coated silk sutures for improved wound healing

The potential of Moringa oleifera/chitosan, as an antibacterial coating material on sutures against surgical infections, was studied. Chitosan and Moringa oleifera powder, obtained via standard extraction and drying procedure, were mixed in a 1:2 ratio to produce the polymer-based film. A silk braided suture was coated by chitosan and Moringa oleifera mixture employing an electrophoretic deposition technique. The amount of Moringa oleifera released by the coated sutures was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) throughout the degradation process. The antibacterial potential of the Moringa oleifera-coated sutures was evaluated by antibacterial testing against E. coli and S. aureus. For biocompatibility/cytotoxicity analysis of the Moringa oleifera-coated sutures, the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium) assay was considered through an indirect testing approach. For this, an elution attained from the extraction of the sutures for 7 days was placed in a 3T3 fibroblast cell culture. The outcomes presented that Moringa oleifera-coated sutures did not develop any notable adverse effect. This was the first investigation on silk-braided sutures coated with Moringa oleifera as a prevention of nosocomial infections and promoting wound healing.