Abstract
Suture-associated infections on surgical sites are known to be related to the surface characteristics of the sutures. The present study aimed to fabricate a novel functional suture for surgical procedures and characterize its antioxidative, antimicrobial, and in vitro wound healing properties. St John's wort, Hypericum perforatum, extract (eHp), and biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been combined and used for coating the silk sutures. Antioxidant, antimicrobial capacity, and in vitro wound healing potential of the coated sutures have been examined. The morphological and microanalytical examination of the coated sutures was also performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). According to the antioxidant activity tests, free radical scavenging and β-carotene linoleic acid tests revealed that the antioxidative potential of H. perforatum extract-AgNP combination (eHp-AgNP) at 10 mg/mL concentration was higher than those of positive controls, ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol. Coating the sutures with eHp-AgNP resulted in a remarkable inhibition activity of the sutures against Staphylococcus aureus, which is a pathogenic member of human microbiota. When compared with the control groups, it was investigated that coating the sutures with eHp-AgNP stimulated the cell migration of the fibroblasts to heal the artificial wound. Due to their beneficial effects, the eHp-AgNP-coated silk sutures might be a potential antibacterial and wound healing accelerator for surgical approaches.