Rational Design of Bioactive and Antibacterial Efficient Nano-ZnO Loaded Chitosan Dressing for Improved Wound Healing after Femoral Fracture Surgery and Nursing Care Management

The present work deals with the preparation of bio-nanocomposite for enhanced antibacterial activity and its application on surgical care. Chitosan-ZnO nanocomposite was prepared by direct addition of dissolved chitosan with zinc nitrate and sodium hydroxide solution. The formation of chitosan-ZnO nanocomposite was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and UV–Visible spectroscopic analyses. Hexagonal structure of ZnO was determined by X-ray diffraction patterns. With two-fold increase of zinc nitrate concentration, higher zinc ion content in the nanocomposite was obtained and evidenced by atomic absorption spectroscopy studies. The thermal analysis revealed the stability of chitosan increased with formation of chitosan-ZnO nanocomposite. The scanning electron microscope images revealed that ZnO nanoparticles were dispersed within the chitosan matrix. The prepared nanocomposite had a higher antibacterial activity than pure chitosan which showed excellent activity against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) with highest zone of inhibition 90 mm. The prepared nanocomposite formulations exhibited excellent in vitro cytocompatibility and in vivo histological activity, which demonstrates the favourable wound healing behaviour of materials.