DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CHITOSAN-AMOXICILLIN HYDROGEL FOR TREATING MRSA-INFECTED BURN WOUNDS IN A MURINE MODEL

HN FATIMA; H MARYAM; MU JAMIL

doi:10.64013/bbasr.v2026i1.113

Authors

HN FATIMA Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, 60800, Pakistan
H MARYAM Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, 60800, Pakistan
MU JAMIL University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, 54000, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64013/bbasr.v2026i1.113

Keywords:

Multi drug resistant bacteria, antibiotics, biopolymers, drug delivery, skin regeneration

Abstract

Burn wounds are highly susceptible to colonization by multidrug-resistant bacteria, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which significantly delays healing and increases morbidity. Conventional systemic antibiotics often fail to achieve effective local concentrations at the wound site due to poor tissue perfusion and the presence of bacterial resistance determinants. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a chitosan-based hydrogel loaded with amoxicillin as a localized therapeutic platform for the treatment of MRSA-infected burn wounds. Clinical S. aureus isolates were recovered from burn patients and characterized for antibiotic susceptibility and the presence of mecA and mecC genes. Chitosan hydrogels, with and without amoxicillin, were synthesized and characterized using FTIR, swelling and stability analyses, and fibroblast viability assays. Antibacterial activity was assessed through MIC and FIC evaluations. A murine burn infection model was used to examine the in vivo antimicrobial efficacy and wound healing potential of the hydrogel formulations. Results revealed that most clinical isolates exhibited multidrug resistance and carried mecA and mecC, confirming MRSA prevalence. The chitosan-amoxicillin hydrogel demonstrated favorable physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and strong synergistic antibacterial activity, with significantly lower MIC values than amoxicillin alone. In vivo, the combination hydrogel achieved rapid bacterial clearance, promoting complete wound closure by day 14 substantially faster than chitosan alone, amoxicillin alone, or untreated controls. Histological analysis further revealed superior tissue regeneration, including thicker epidermis, organized collagen deposition, and reappearance of skin appendages. The chitosan-amoxicillin hydrogel provides a potent dual-action therapeutic approach, combining enhanced antimicrobial activity with accelerated wound healing. This platform offers strong potential for managing infected burn wounds, particularly those involving drug-resistant S. aureus, and represents a promising candidate for future clinical translation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Anderson, A., Kinahan, M. W., Gonzalez, A. H., Udekwu, K., & Hernandez-Vargas, E. A. (2025). Invariant set theory for predicting potential failure of antibiotic cycling. Infectious Disease Modelling, 10(3), 897–908. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idm.2025.04.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idm.2025.04.001

Baghirova, L., Kaya Tilki, E., & Ozturk, A. A. (2023). Evaluation of Cell Proliferation and Wound Healing Effects of Vitamin A Palmitate-Loaded PLGA/Chitosan-Coated PLGA Nanoparticles: Preparation, Characterization, Release, and Release Kinetics. ACS Omega, 8(2), 2658–2668. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c07232 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c07232

Bianchini Fulindi, R., Domingues Rodrigues, J., Lemos Barbosa, T. W., Goncalves Garcia, A. D., de Almeida La Porta, F., Pratavieira, S., Chiavacci, L. A., Pessoa Araújo Junior, J., da Costa, P. I., & Martinez, L. R. (2023). Zinc-Based Nanoparticles Reduce Bacterial Biofilm Formation. Microbiology Spectrum, 11(2), e0483122. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.04831-22 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.04831-22

Elaf, R., Ali, A. Ben, Saad, M., Hussein, I. A., & Bai, B. (2023). Development of eco-friendly chitosan-g-polyacrylamide preformed particle gel for conformance control in high-temperature and high-salinity reservoirs. Geoenergy Science and Engineering, 230, 212136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoen.2023.212136 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoen.2023.212136

Gomaa, M. M., Requena-Leal, I., Elsharkawy, M. R. M., Rodrigo, M. A., & Lobato, J. (2024). Eco-friendly non-fluorinated membranes for renewable energy storage. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 90, 328–341. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.09.431 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.09.431

Gul, S., Hussain, S., Khan, H., Arshad, M., Khan, J. R., & de Jesus Motheo, A. (2024). Integrated AI-driven optimization of Fenton process for the treatment of antibiotic sulfamethoxazole: Insights into mechanistic approach. Chemosphere, 357, 141868. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141868 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141868

Jasim, N. A., Al-Gasha’a, F. A., Al-Marjani, M. F., Al-Rahal, A. H., Abid, H. A., Al-Kadhmi, N. A., Jakaria, M., & Rheima, A. M. (2020). ZnO Nanoparticles Inhibit Growth and Biofilm Formation of Vancomycin-Resistant S. Aureus (VRSA). Biocatal. Agric. Biotechnol., 29, 101745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2020.101745 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2020.101745

Mas-Coma, S., Artigas, P., Cuervo, P. F., De Elías-Escribano, A., Fantozzi, M. C., Colangeli, G., Córdoba, A., Marquez-Guzman, D. J., Mas-Bargues, C., Borrás, C., Pérez-Pérez, P., Bethencourt-Estrella, C. J., Rodríguez-Expósito, R. L., Peña-Prunell, M. D., Chao-Pellicer, J., García-Pérez, O., Domínguez de Barros, A. T., García-Ramos, A., Sirvent-Blanco, C., … Bargues, M. D. (2025). Infectious disease risk after the October 2024 flash flood in Valencia, Spain: Disaster evolution, strategic scenario analysis, and extrapolative baseline for a One Health assessment. One Health, 21, 101093. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101093 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101093

Murray, C. J. L., Ikuta, K. S., Sharara, F., Swetschinski, L., Robles Aguilar, G., Gray, A., Han, C., Bisignano, C., Rao, P., Wool, E., Johnson, S. C., Browne, A. J., Chipeta, M. G., Fell, F., Hackett, S., Haines-Woodhouse, G., Kashef Hamadani, B. H., Kumaran, E. A. P., McManigal, B., … Naghavi, M. (2022). Global Burden of Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance in 2019: A Systematic Analysis. Lancet, 399(10325), 629. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0

Safitri, N., Rauf, N., & Tahir, D. (2023). Enhancing drug loading and release with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles for efficient drug delivery: A review synthesis methods, surface ion effects, and clinical prospects. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 90, 105092. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2023.105092 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2023.105092

Selvaraj, S., Chauhan, A., Verma, R., Dutta, V., Rana, G., Duglet, R., Subbarayan, R., & Batoo, K. M. (2024). Role of degrading hydrogels in hepatocellular carcinoma drug delivery applications: A review. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 95, 105628. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2024.105628 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2024.105628

Sirelkhatim, A., Mahmud, S., Seeni, A., Kaus, N. H. M., Ann, L. C., Bakhori, S. K. M., Hasan, H., & Mohamad, D. (2015). Review on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Antibacterial Activity and Toxicity Mechanism. Nano-Micro Letters, 7(3), 219–242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-015-0040-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-015-0040-x

Song, T., Bai, B., & Schuman, T. (2023). Evaluation of ultra-high temperature resistant hydrogels for the preferential fluid flow control. Proceedings, 48th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Stanford University, Stanford, California.

Srinivasan, L., Gayathri, A., Kaliaperumal, K., Thirunavukkarasu, R., Suresh, A., Subramanian, K., Devanesan, S., AlSalhi, M. S., & Shobana, S. (2024). Selenium‐chitosan engineered nanocomposite as efficient formulated fish diet evaluated for sustainable aquaculture practice of Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) fishes. Polymers for Advanced Technologies, 35(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.6436 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.6436

Yang, N., Hou, X., Li, Y., Zhang, H., Wang, J., Hu, X., & Zhang, W. (2023). Inter-basin water diversion homogenizes microbial communities mainly through stochastic assembly processes. Environmental Research, 223, 115473. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.115473 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.115473