Myrrh-loaded superhydrophobic gauze effectively treats wound infections and promotes healing: In vitro and in vivo efficacy

Conventional medical gauze is likely to adhere to wounds and lacks tissue-healing and antibacterial capabilities, thus hindering removal and negatively affecting the wound-healing process. Here, we report the exceptional antiadhesive and antibacterial properties of a sandwich-structured complex gauze with wound-healing capability and biocompatibility. This gauze consisted of an outer and an inner layer of superhydrophobic gauze (SHG) and an internal layer of gauze that was loaded with different concentrations of myrrh (5, 10, and 20 g/L; denoted M5, M10, and M20, respectively). The results indicated that the myrrh-loaded complex gauze met the breathability standards for medical gauze. Even after 24 cycles of wear testing, the M10 sample showed extraordinarily high and stable superhydrophobicity. The in vitro and in vivo assessments demonstrated that the M10 exhibited good cytocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and cell migration capability in relation to L929 cells, as well as outstanding antibacterial and antiadhesive effects, mainly due to the appropriate amount of myrrh-loading promoting cell proliferation and imparting good antibacterial activity. Overall, the M10 gauze sample can be expected to effectively treat wound infections and demonstrate great potential for promoting wound healing.