Abstract

The antibiotic resistance increasing and the high rates of cutaneous bacterial infections on wounds and burns have attracted the development of new technologies. This study aimed to designing and evaluation of a medical dressing to use in skin infections and/or burns, from substances that have antibacterial activity such as chitosan and metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) of gold, silver, copper and silver/palladium alloy. The chemical liquid deposition (CLD) along with solvated metal atom dispersed (SMAD) method was used chitosan (QS) in 2-propanol, from which metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) ranging 10-50 nm of Cu, Au, Ag and Ag-Pd were obtained. The QS films with nanoparticles (NPs) characterization was carried out by techniques such as: X-ray dispersive spectroscopy (SEM / EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Assays were carried out to determine antibacterial activity films chitosan/nanoparticles using four bacterial strains (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. epidermidis and S. aureus), QS-Ag and Ag-Pd showed the best inhibitory action. Results obtained through bioassays in rats, showed a better reconstitution of the epithelium, less necrotic tissue and increase in vascularization, this study will aid to develop new materials with potential use in the formulation of dressings.