Bacterial Nanocellulose Fortified with Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Natural Products from Plant Cell Cultures.

In this work we developed a bi-functional Bacterial-Nano-Cellulose (BNC) carrier system for cell cultures of -a medicinal plant producing antimicrobial compounds. The porous BNC was biosynthesized for 3, 5 or 7 days by the non-pathogenic bacteria and used in three forms: (1) Without removal of cells, (2) partially cleaned up from the remaining cells using water washing and (3) fully purified with NaOH leaving no bacterial cells remains. The suspended cells were inoculated on the BNC pieces in liquid medium and the functionalized BNC was harvested and subjected to scanning electron microscopy observation and analyzed for the content of metabolites as well as to antimicrobial assays and tested for potential proinflammatory irritating activity in human neutrophils. The highest content and the most complex composition of pharmacologically active substances was found in 3-day-old, unpurified BNC, which was tested for its bioactivity. The assays based on the IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α secretion in an in vitro model showed an anti-inflammatory effect of this particular biomatrix. Moreover, 3-day-old-BNC displayed antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against , and . The results of the research indicated a possible application of such modified composites, against microbial pathogens, especially in local surface infections, where plant metabolite-enriched BNC may be used as the occlusive dressing.