Triclosan-Loaded Alginate Films for Topical Medical Applications

This paper focuses on enhancing the physico-mechanical and antibacterial properties of alginate films via incorporation of triclosan into the ionicallycrosslinked alginate for topical medical applications. Results indicated that the prepared bioactive films exhibited a range of physicomechanical and functional properties depending on type of crosslinker, Ca2+, Ba2+ or Zn2+, kind of matrix, alginate or alginate/CMC blend (50/50), degree of crosslinking and swelling properties as well as extent of embedding and releasing of the loaded triclosan. The obtained bioactive alginate films using CaCl2 (2% w/w), as ionic crosslinker salt, triclosan (20% w/w) as antibacterial agent, along with glycerol (0.25% w/w) as a plasticizing agent, showed proper physico- (water retention, weight loss and water vapor permeability), mechanical properties (tensile strength) along with a remarkable antibacterial activity against the tested G+ve (S. aureus) and G-ve (E. coli) bacteria. Both surface morphology and surface composition of alginate films using different ionically crosslinking divalent metal cationswere investigated using SEM and EDX analysis.