ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Development of chitosan-based cotton dressings integrated with Ficus carica extract for biomedical use

Nusrat Noor, Sidra Saleemi, Abdul Moqeet Hai, Abrar Ahmed, and Hafiz Abdul Mannan

Institute of Polymer and Textile Engineering, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan

E-mail: sidraatif.ipte@pu.edu.pk

Received: 8 October 2025  Accepted: 1 December 2025

Abstract:

Ficus carica “fig” has been used for traditional medicine for the treatment of different diseases such as cancer, anemia, ulcer, leprosy, liver and skin diseases. The purpose of this study is to fabricate novel wound dressings by coating them with chitosan and fig extract. Three types of coated cotton bandages including chitosan/glycerol solution (CG), chitosan/glycerol/fig polar extract solution (CGP) and chitosan/glycerol/fig non-polar extract solution (CGNP) were prepared as novel wound dressings. Optical microscopic and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) confirmed the clear coating of chitosan and fig on the surface of CG, CGP and CGNP on cotton dressings. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed that CGP and CGNP have specific functional groups that enhanced antibacterial properties. TGA of these coated bandages showed improved thermal stability as compared to uncoated bandages. The tensile strengths were significantly improved from 214 ± 4 N to 264 ± 6 N. The hydrophilicity of CG and CGP samples remain intact with a contact angle 45º and 35º respectively, however CGNP shows hydrophobic properties with a contact angle 95º due to nonpolar extract. Antibacterial activity of CGP and CGNP showed good antimicrobial/antibacterial effects against both S. aureous and E. coli than control group CG. Furthermore, swelling behavior and degradation in PBS were also observed. Pure cotton degrades more rapidly (5.29 g to 1.8 g in 72 h), while coated sample showed slower degradation i.e. 5.25 g to 3.1 g in 72 h. The results showed that CGP and CGNP coated cotton bandages are promising candidates for wound dressings in medical applications.

Keywords: Chitosan; Fig extract; Cotton bandages; Coating; Wound dressing

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04572-w

Chemical Papers 80 (3) 3085–3093 (2026)