India’s Banana Fiber Eco Wound Dressings

Banana fiber is a natural material that has been used for various purposes such as textiles, paper, and handicrafts. But did you know that it can also be used to make eco-friendly wound dressings? Scientists from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) in Assam have developed a novel wound dressing material using banana fibers that are discarded after harvest. The material is biodegradable, cost-effective, and has antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

The research team, led by Prof. Devasish Chowdhury and Prof. (Retd) Rajlakshmi Devi, combined the banana fibers with biopolymers like chitosan and guar gum to create a multifunctional patch that can adhere to the wound site and promote healing. They also loaded the patch with an extract from the Vitex negundo L. plant, which has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. The patch can release the plant extract in a controlled manner and prevent infection.

The researchers tested the patch on animal models and found that it accelerated wound closure and reduced inflammation. They also compared the patch with commercially available wound dressings and found that it performed better in terms of mechanical strength, water absorption, swelling, and biodegradation.

The banana fiber-biopolymer composite dressing is a sustainable solution for wound care that can benefit both farmers and patients. It can utilize the abundant banana pseudo stems that are otherwise considered as waste and reduce environmental pollution. It can also provide a low-cost, reliable, and natural alternative to synthetic wound dressings that may cause allergic reactions or side effects.

The research has been published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules by Elsevier . The researchers hope that their innovation will open the door to a new era in wound healing and biomedical research.

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