Physicochemical and in vitro biocompatibility of films combining reconstituted bacterial cellulose with arabinogalactan and xyloglucan

[Display omitted] •Bacterial cellulose (BC) is frequently used as a commercial wound dressing.•Hydrocolloid (HD) inclusion can modify reconstituted (R)BC membrane properties.•Xyloglucan inclusion improved film stability; HD increased microfiber aggregation.•Inclusion altered hydrophilicity and slightly increased film mechanical properties.•Cell adhesion on RBC/arabinogalactan films was comparable to commercial BC dressings. Reconstituted cellulose films were generated using residual bacterial cellulose membranes mechanically defibrillated (RBC fibrils) recycled following wound dressing production via a dry-cast process. Arabinogalactan (AG) extracted from Pereskia aculeata leaves and/or a xyloglucan (GHXG) from Guibourtia hymenifolia seeds were incorporating into the RBC at various compositions, and new films were created using the same process. Biocomposite properties were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle (CA), and X-ray diffraction measurements. The attachment and proliferation of murine L929 fibroblasts on RBC and RBC/Hydrocolloids (HD) were also evaluated. RBC films with 20–30% GHXG replacement improved film stability and the inclusion of HD increased microfiber aggregation and reduced porous regions. Changes in the hydrophilic characteristics were also observed and owing to the adhesion effect the inclusion of HD on RBC led to a statistically significant effect of the mechanical properties of films. The RBC/AG films supported L929 adhesion similar to that observed for commercial bacterial cellulose, indicating their potential use for biomedical applications.