Bacterial Cellulose Patches

Medical/pharma/Healthcare

Bacterial cellulose has emerged as an important biopolymer having multifarious applications in various fields. It has proven to be the most viable alternative to plant cellulose. It is very advantageous to use bacterial cellulose instead of plant cellulose for many reasons as its has no hemicelluloses and lignin. It has better properties as compared to plant cellulose and the products manufactured from bacterial cellulose are of superior quality having more durability and efficiency. Also, using bacterial cellulose is more eco friendly, as the need for plant cellulose results in depletion of forest resources which in return increases the danger of pollution. Bacterial cellulose (BC), is a highly pure cellulose (devoid of hemicelluloses and lignin) produced by bacteria. It has a high degree of crystallinity, polymerization, tensile strength and tear resistance, and hydrophobicity. These unique properties confer upon it the ability to be used for a multitude of applications in many industries particularly in the biomedical area. It can be used as wound dressing or bandage for healing wounds, making artificial skin, artificial vessels etc. Bacterial cellulose membrane can heal the wound much faster and efficiently than conventionally used wound dressings. The unique physical and mechanical properties of BC, arising from its tridimensional and branched nano and micro-fibrillar structure, as well as biocompatibility triggered the interest to produce BC membranes that can be used for drug loading and controlled release by making Trans dermal patches. Transdermal patches comprise a method of delivering medication
through the skin in a non-invasive manner. The patch contains the desired medication (i.e topical antibiotics like antibacterial, antifungal etc.) and is designed in such a way that the medication permeates the skin in a controlled fashion thus attaining more steady levels of the drug in the body. Realizing the importance of bacterial cellulose and its industrial impact, this project has been envisaged. We are successfully able to produce bacterial cellulose from after an intensive screening. The production of bacterial cellulose was optimized in a cost effective manner. The production will also
focus on the development of biocellulose membranes with desired thinness. Process engineering including downstream processing, harvesting, purification of biocellulose membrane and subsequent impregnation of topical antibiotics in the biocellulose membranes was carried out for the development of dermal patches. Stability Studies of the antibiotics impregnation biocellulose membranes, It transdermal PK and Drug release studies on the dermal patches was carried out to check the efficacy of the produced bio membranes. Invivo efficacy of the dermal patches containing topical
antibiotics will also be attempted for to achieve and develop a commercially viable process of BC based transdermal patches. 

• It can be used as wound dressing or bandage for healing wounds,
  making artificial skin, artificial vessels etc.
• Bacterial cellulose membrane can heal the wound much faster and efficiently than conventionally used wound dressings.
• The unique physical and mechanical properties of BC, arising from its tridimensional and branched nano and micro-fibrillar structure, as well as
  biocompatibility triggered the interest to produce BC membranes that can be
  used for drug loading and controlled release by making Trans dermal patches. Transdermal patches comprise a method of delivering medication through the skin in a non-invasive manner. The patch contains the desired medication (i.e topical antibiotics like antibacterial, antifungal etc.) and is designed in such a way that the medication permeates the skin in a controlled fashion thus attaining more steady levels of the drug in the body.