Abstract
The development of multifunctional wound dressings based on bioactive polymers offers an opportunity to combine moisture management, structural stability, and biological functionality within a single material. However, the integration of crosslinked agar/κ-carrageenan coatings, a poly(acrylic acid)/sodium hypophosphite (PAA/SHP) crosslinking system, and propolis on cellulosic textile substrates, together with the relationships between material properties and in vitro biological responses, warrants further investigation. In this study, a functionalized cellulosic textile incorporating agar, κ-carrageenan, PAA, SHP, and propolis (PS) was prepared and characterized. The curing conditions of 140 °C for 15 min were selected based on previous work and adopted in the present study. The resulting materials were characterized by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), swelling measurements, and tensile testing. The functionalized textiles exhibited a mass gain of 23.03% and a swelling ratio of 630%, indicating substantial material incorporation and water uptake. The wet breaking force reached 4.89 N, demonstrating measurable mechanical performance under hydrated conditions. ATR-FTIR findings were consistent with chemical interactions associated with the proposed PAA-mediated crosslinking mechanism, while SEM revealed morphological features consistent with the formation of a polymeric coating on the cellulose fibers. The complete formulation exhibited an apparent relative HepG2 MTT response of 132.5% after 72 h, indicating metabolic activity above that of the control under the tested conditions. The propolis-containing materials also exhibited antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli, with inhibition zones of 39.2 mm and 29.3 mm, respectively, and demonstrated antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Further evaluation using MCF-7 breast cancer cells and non-tumorigenic MCF10A breast epithelial cells revealed differential cellular viability responses. MCF-7 cell viability decreased to 25.4% and 17.2% after 24 and 48 h, respectively, under the tested conditions. These findings highlight the material’s water-absorption capacity, mechanical performance, antimicrobial activity, and differential cell-based responses. The novelty of this study lies in integrating these components within a cellulosic textile and evaluating its physicochemical, mechanical, antimicrobial, and cellular responses. Overall, the results support further investigation of the prepared material as a candidate bioactive wound dressing. Nevertheless, additional studies are required to establish the nature and extent of covalent grafting, quantify propolis loading and release, and assess compatibility with wound-relevant cells, particularly human dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes.