Neem-hypericum-bacterial cellulose wound care paste characterized in vitro and in Galleria mellonella in vivo model

Surgical wound infections represent a global health emergency because of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Commensal and pathogenic bacteria can grow in the form of biofilms on damaged skin, and often exhibit an antibiotic-resistance profile. For this reason, the development of new strategies is necessary for the management of skin wounds, which are based not only on antimicrobial activity but also on the inhibition of bacterial biofilm formation or biofilm removal. In this study, we show the development and the biofilm-detaching properties of a novel bacterial cellulose formulation for wound healing. This paste is made by mixing bacterial cellulose pulp with neem-hypericum oil/water emulsion. Once its biocompatibility on murine fibroblasts has been determined, its efficacy was evaluated in vitro against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus biofilms and in vivo by using Galleria mellonella larvae as a burn wound infection model. Unlike pure BC, the paste showed promising biofilm detachment properties in vitro and a good biocompatibility activity in vivo, setting the stage for developing new strategies for the treatment of chronic wound infections.