New cryogels based on poly (vinyl alcohol) and a copolymacrolactone system. II. Antibacterial properties of the network embedded with thymol bioactive agent

The present study aims to confer antimicrobial properties to PVA/PEBSA cryogels synthesized by the freeze-thaw method. The effect of thymol content on the properties and structure of the cryogel was put into evidence by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and DTG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The influence of the conditions of antibacterial hydrogels preparation on the release profiles of thymol from the polymeric cryogels in physiological environment was put into evidence. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity of PVA/PEBSA_Thy cryogel was investigated against three different reference strains: Gram-positive bacterial strain (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923), fungal strain (Candida albicans ATCC10231), and Gram-negative bacterial strain (Escherichia coli ATCC25922). [Display omitted] •Preparation of a new cryogel based on PVA and poly(ethylene brassylate-co-squaric acid).•Antimicrobial properties to the new cryogels by entrapment of the bioactive substances (thymol).•The new antibacterial cryogels developed in the present work are suitable materials for wound dressing applications.