A team of scientists from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) in Assam has developed an eco-friendly and low-cost wound dressing material using banana fibers.
Researchers led by Prof. Devasish Chowdhury and Prof. (Retd) Rajlakshmi Devi used banana pseudostems, which are widely discarded after harvest.
They ingeniously combined banana fibers with biopolymers such as chitosan and guar gum to create a multifunctional patch with excellent mechanical strength and antioxidant properties.
Furthermore, the patch was filled with an extract from the plant Vitex negundo L., which demonstrated the ability of the composite patch made of banana fibers and biopolymer containing the plant extract to release the drug and act as antibacterial agents in vitro.
All the materials used to make this innovative dressing material are natural and locally available, making the manufacturing process simple, cost-effective and non-toxic, the team said.
“This research opens the door to a new era in wound healing, offering a cheap, reliable and environmentally friendly alternative that has significant potential in biomedical research,” Professor Chowdhury said in a statement.
The banana fiber-biopolymer composite dressing could revolutionize wound care with its broad applications and positive impact on health and the environment, the team said in a study published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.
The dressing material represents a sustainable solution for wound care and can also benefit farmers and minimize environmental impact.
