Preparation of Centella asiatica loaded gelatin/chitosan/nonwoven fabric composite hydrogel wound dressing with antibacterial property

Eco-friendly electronic food labels: Development and application of Ion-SSPB double network hydrogel

Although various conductive hydrogels have been developed for sensing, ideal materials for meeting the safety and toughness requirements of food detection are still lacking. This study introduces Ion-SSPB, a conductive hydrogel fabricated from eco-friendly, food-grade materials such as corn starch (CS), sodium alginate (SA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and bentonite (BT). It leverages a green manufacturing approach designed for application in electronic food sensors. The hydrogel is achieved through a double network strategy and salt immersion method, which endows it with tunable mechanical and rheological properties. A key innovation of Ion-SSPB is the incorporation of bentonite, which enhances its performance, including low swelling, freezing resistance, and minimal residual adhesion. The hydrogel with 4% (w/v) BT concentration (Ion-SSPB4%) is an effective medium for detecting impedance changes in mangoes, correlating with their ripening stages. The Ion-SSPB hydrogel represents a significant advancement in the field of electronic food labels, combining environmental sustainability with technical efficacy.

In-situ forming carboxymethyl chitosan hydrogel containing Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. leaf extract for mixed infectious vaginitis treatment by reshaping the micro-biota

Mixed infectious vaginitis poses a serious threat to female reproductive health due to complex pathogenic factors, a long course and easy recurrence. Currently, antibiotic-based treatment methods are facing a crisis of drug resistance and secondary dysbiosis. Exploring effective drugs for the treatment of mixed vaginitis from Paeonia suffruticosa Andr., a natural traditional Chinese medicine with a long history of medicinal use, is a feasible treatment strategy. P. suffruticosa Andr. leaf extract (PLE) has significant anti-bacterial effects due to its rich content of polyphenols and flavonoids. The polyphenols in peony leaves have the potential to make carboxymethyl chitosan form in situ gel. In the current study, PLE and carboxymethyl chitosan were combined to develop another type of natural anti-bacterial anti-oxidant hydrogel for the treatment of mixed infectious vaginitis. Through a series of characterisations, CP had a three-dimensional network porous structure with good mechanical properties, high water absorption, long retention and a slow-release drug effect. The mixed infectious vaginitis mouse model induced by a mixture of pathogenic bacteria was used to investigate the therapeutic effects of CP in vivo. The appearance of the vagina, H&E colouring of the tissue and inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6) confirm the good anti-vaginal effect of CP. Therefore, CP was expected to become an ideal effective strategy to improve mixed infection vaginitis due to its excellent hydrogel performance and remarkable ability to regulate flora.

Chitosan/agarose hydrogel dressing: pH response real-time monitoring and chemo-/photodynamic therapy synergistic treatment of infected wounds

The early diagnosis and real-time monitoring of bacterial infections are of great significance for the establishment of integrated diagnosis and treatment systems. In this study, a pH-responsive smart hydrogel patch system, named CABP, was developed to monitor and treat wound infections. CABP has a sandwich structure, with non-woven fabric/chitosan (NF/CS) as the intermediate skeleton layer, Agarose/chitosan/Bromothymol Blue (AG/CS/BTB) hydrogel as the detection layer, and Agarose/chitosan/phthalocyanine (AG/CS/Pc) hydrogel as the treatment layer. When Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infection occurs, the pH of the environment decreases, which triggers the CABP to change from its original blue color to yellow, achieving an intuitive visual transformation. Moreover, the hydrogel patch showed a significant inhibition rate of up to 99.99971 % against S. aureus under 660 nm light radiation, showing a good photodynamic therapy (PDT)/ chemotherapy (CT) synergistic effect. In addition, CABP showed excellent antibacterial and wound healing effects on S. aureus infection in a full-layer skin defect experiment. In short, the patch system is simple to prepare and easy to use, and can provide important research value for the integrated diagnosis and treatment system in biomedical applications.

Study and evaluation of a gelatin- silver oxide nanoparticles releasing nitric oxide production of wound healing dressing for diabetic ulcer

This study aimed to develop a novel Gelatin silver oxide material for releasing nitric oxide bionanocomposite wound dressing with enhanced mechanical, chemical, and antibacterial properties for the treatment of diabetic wounds. The gelatin- silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag2O-NP) bio nanocomposite was prepared using chitosan and gelatin polymers incorporated with silver oxide nanoparticles through the freeze-drying method. The samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Results showed that the Ag2O-NP nanoparticles increased porosity, decreased pore size, and improved elastic modulus. The Ag2O-NP wound dressing exhibited the most effective antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Among the samples, the wound dressing containing silver oxide nanoparticles demonstrated superior physical and mechanical properties, with 48% porosity, a tensile strength of 3.2 MPa, and an elastic modulus of 51.7 MPa. The fabricated wound dressings had a volume ratio of empty space to total volume ranging from 40% to 60%. In parallel, considering the complications of diabetes and its impact on the vascular system, another aspect of the research focused on developing a per2mediated wound dressing capable of releasing nitric oxide gas to regenerate damaged vessels and accelerate diabetic wound healing. Chitosan, a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, was selected as the substrate for the wound dressing, and beta-glycerophosphate (GPβ), tripolyphosphate (TPP), and per2mediated alginate (AL) were used as crosslinkers. The chitosan-alginate (CS-AL) wound dressing exhibited optimal characteristics in terms of hole count and uniformity in the scanning electron microscope test. It also demonstrated superior water absorption (3854%) and minimal air permeability. Furthermore, the CS-AL sample exhibited an 80% degradation rate after 14 days, indicating its suitability as a wound dressing. The wound dressing was loaded with S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) powder, and the successful release of nitric oxide gas was confirmed through the grease test, showing a peak at a wavelength of 540 nm. Subsequent investigations revealed that the treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with high glucose led to a decrease in the expression of PER2 and SIRT1, while the expression of PER2 increased, which may subsequently enhance the expression of SIRT1 and promote cell proliferation activity. However, upon treatment of the cells with the modified materials, an increase in the expression of PER2 and SIRT1 was observed, resulting in a partial restoration of cell proliferative activity. This comprehensive study successfully developed per2-mediated bio-nanocomposite wound dressings with improved physical, mechanical, chemical, and antibacterial properties. The incorporation of silver oxide nanoparticles enhanced the antimicrobial activity, while the released nitric oxide gas from the dressing demonstrated the ability to mitigate vascular endothelial cell damage induced by high glucose levels. These advancements show promising potential for facilitating the healing process of diabetic wounds by addressing complications associated with diabetes and enhancing overall wound healing.

Preparation and characterization of a polyurethane-based sponge wound dressing with a superhydrophobic layer and an antimicrobial adherent hydrogel layer

Bacterial infection poses a significant impediment in wound healing, necessitating the development of dressings with intrinsic antimicrobial properties. In this study, a multilayered wound dressing (STPU@MTAI2/AM1) was reported, comprising a surface-superhydrophobic treated polyurethane (STPU) sponge scaffold coupled with an antimicrobial hydrogel. A superhydrophobic protective outer layer was established on the hydrophilic PU sponge through the application of fluorinated zinc oxide nanoparticles (F-ZnO NPs), thereby resistance to environmental contamination and bacterial invasion. The adhesive and antimicrobial inner layer was an attached hydrogel (MTAI2/AM1) synthesized through the copolymerization of N-[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]-N, N, N-trimethylammonium iodide and acrylamide, exhibits potent adherence to dermal surfaces and broad-spectrum antimicrobial actions against resilient bacterial strains and biofilm formation. STPU@MTAI2/AM1 maintained breathability and flexibility, ensuring comfort and conformity to the wound site. Biocompatibility of the multilayered dressing was demonstrated through hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility studies. The multilayered wound dressing has demonstrated the ability to promote wound healing when addressing MRSA-infected wounds. The hydrogel layer demonstrates no secondary damage when peeled off compared to commercial polyurethane sponge dressing. The STPU@MTAI2/AM1-treated wounds were nearly completely healed by day 14, with an average wound area of 12.2 ± 4.3 %, significantly lower than other groups. Furthermore, the expression of CD31 was significantly higher in the STPU@MTAI2/AM1 group compared to other groups, promoting angiogenesis in the wound and thereby contributing to wound healing. Therefore, the prepared multilayered wound dressing presents a promising therapeutic candidate for the management of infected wounds. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Healing of chronic wounds requires avoidance of biofouling and bacterial infection. However developing a wound dressing which is both anti-biofouling and antimicrobial is a challenge. A multilayered wound dressing with multifunction was developed. Its outer layer was designed to be superhydrophobic and thus anti-biofouling, and its inner layer was broad-spectrum antimicrobial and could inhibit biofilm formation. The multilayered wound dressing with adhesive property could easily be removed from the wound surface preventing the cause of secondary damage. The multilayered wound dressing has demonstrated good abilities to promote MRSA-infected wound healing and presents a viable treatment for MRSA-infected wound.

Bioinspired, surfactant-free, dual-layer asymmetric structures based on polysaccharides, gelatin, and tannic acid for potential applications in biomedicine

The formation of dual-layer asymmetric porous structures in surfactant-based systems is significantly influenced by emulsions. Surfactants self-assemble to alter the conformational arrangement of polysaccharides, while gravity disrupts the initial uniformity of the established equilibrium droplet concentration gradient in the emulsion, thus achieving delamination. Specifically, high-speed rotation and non-instantaneous freezing allow the gelatin solution to form two different states of foam layers. The integrated dual-layer asymmetric porous structure, composed of polysaccharides and tannic acid, is constructed with gelatin as a skeleton and surfactant. This innovative approach eliminates the need to consider the toxicity of chemically synthesized surfactants and expands the concept of gelatin utilization. This intriguing structure exhibits a variety of desirable characteristics within 30 days (e.g., tailorable performance, ultrarapid antioxidant activity, efficient antibacterial activity, low differential blood clotting index, and good hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility), suggesting its potential as a valuable reference for applying hierarchical porous structures, thereby offering more formulation flexibility for biomaterials with adjustable properties.

Injectable plant-derived polysaccharide hydrogels with intrinsic antioxidant bioactivity accelerate wound healing by promoting epithelialization and angiogenesis

Skin wound healing is a complex and dynamic process involving hemostasis, inflammatory response, cell proliferation and migration, and angiogenesis. Currently used wound dressings remain unsatisfactory in the clinic due to the lack of adjustable mechanical property for injection operation and bioactivity for accelerating wound healing. In this work, an "all-sugar" hydrogel dressing is developed based on dynamic borate bonding network between the hydroxyl groups of okra polysaccharide (OP) and xyloglucan (XG). Benefiting from the reversible crosslinking network, the resulting composite XG/OP hydrogels exhibited good shear-thinning and fast self-healing properties, which is suitable to be injected at wound beds and filled into irregular injured site. Besides, the proposed XG/OP hydrogels showed efficient antioxidant capacity by scavenging DPPH activity of 73.9 %. In vivo experiments demonstrated that XG/OP hydrogels performed hemostasis and accelerated wound healing with reduced inflammation, enhanced collagen deposition and angiogenesis. This plant-derived dynamic hydrogel offers a facile and effective approach for wound management and has great potential for clinical translation in feature.

Developing Chinese herbal-based functional biomaterials for tissue engineering

The role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating diseases is receiving increasing attention. Chinese herbal medicine is an important part of TCM with various applications and the active ingredients extracted from Chinese herbal medicines have physiological and pathological effects. Tissue engineering combines cell biology and materials science to construct tissues or organs in vitro or in vivo. TCM has been proposed by the World Health Organization as an effective treatment modality. In recent years, the potential use of TCM in tissue engineering has been demonstrated. In this review, the classification and efficacy of TCM active ingredients and delivery systems are discussed based on the TCM theory. We also summarized the current application status and broad prospects of Chinese herbal active ingredients in different specialized biomaterials in the field of tissue engineering. This review provides novel insights into the integration of TCM and modern Western medicine through the application of Chinese medicine in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Fabrication of reversible bacteria-killing and bacteria-releasing cotton fabrics with anti-bacteria adhesion capacity for potential application in reusable medical materials

Nowadays, more and more smart antibacterial materials have been prepared to meet some specific application area, and most of these materials have complex fabrication processes or incompatible biocompatibility. In this paper, a smart monomer that can switch between the form of quaternary ammonium salt and zwitterionic betaine was prepared and grafted onto cotton fabric. This finished cotton was smart too, it had nice antibacterial performance (99.89 % for E. coli and 99.97 % for S. aureus) in the form of quaternary ammonium salt, and it could release most of the attached bacteria when transferred to the form of zwitterionic betaine in PBS, and the form of zwitterionic betaine could converse back to the state of quaternary ammonium salt in HAC. Simultaneously, it was biocompatible in the form of zwitterionic betaine form. Furthermore, this smart material had nice function reproducibility after repeated transformations. In general, the smart antibacterial cotton could switch between bacteria-killing and bacteria-releasing reversibly, and had good biocompatibility and nice reproducibility, showing a potential application in reusable medical protective materials.

Gelatin/carboxymethyl chitosan/aloe juice hydrogels with skin-like endurance and quick recovery: Preparation, characterization, and properties

Gelatin-based hydrogels have gained considerable attention due to their resemblance to the extracellular matrix and hydrophilic three-dimensional network structure. Apart from providing an air-permeable and moist environment, these hydrogels optimize the inflammatory microenvironment of the wounds. These properties make gelatin-based hydrogels highly competitive in the field of wound dressings. In this study, a series of composite hydrogels were prepared using gelatin (Gel) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) as primary materials, glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker, and aloe vera juice as an anti-inflammatory component. The properties of the hydrogel, including its rheological properties, microscopic structures, mechanical properties, swelling ratios, thermal stability, antibacterial properties, and biocompatibility, were investigated. The results demonstrate that the gelatin-based hydrogels exhibit good elasticity and rapid self-healing ability. The hydrogels exhibited slight shear behavior, which is advantageous for skin care applications. Furthermore, the inclusion of aloe vera juice into the hydrogel resulted in a dense structure, improved mechanical properties and enhanced swelling ratio. The Gel/CMCh/Aloe hydrogels tolerate a compressive strength similar to that of human skin. Moreover, the hydrogels displayed excellent cytocompatibility with HFF-1 cells, and exhibited antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Lomefloxacin was used as a model drug to study the releasing behavior of the Gel/CMCh/aloe hydrogels. The results showed that the drug was released rapidly at the initial stage, and could continue to be released for 12 h, the maximum releasing rate exceeded 20 %. These findings suggest that the gelatin-based hydrogels hold great promise as effective wound dressings.

Biochemical Approach to Poly(Lactide)-Copper Composite-Impact on Blood Coagulation Processes

The paper presents the investigation of the biological properties of Poly(Lactide)-Copper composite material obtained by sputter deposition of copper onto Poly(lactide) melt-blown nonwoven fabrics. The functionalized composite material was subjected to microbial activity tests against colonies of Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria, Chaetomium globosum and Candida albicans fungal mold species and biochemical-hematological tests including the evaluation of the Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time, Prothrombin Time, Thrombin Time and electron microscopy fibrin network imaging. The substantial antimicrobial and antifungal activities of the Poly(Lactide)-Copper composite suggests potential applications as an antibacterial/antifungal material. The unmodified Poly(Lactide) fabric showed accelerated human blood plasma clotting in the intrinsic pathway, while copper plating abolished this effect. Unmodified PLA itself could be used for the preparation of wound dressing materials, accelerating coagulation in the case of hemorrhages, and its modifications with the use of various metals might be applied as new customized materials where blood coagulation process could be well controlled, yielding additional anti-pathogen effects.

Reversible bacteria-killing and bacteria-releasing cotton fabric with anti-bacteria adhesion ability for potential sustainable protective clothing applications

Multifunctional antibacterial surfaces are playing an essential role in various areas. Smart antibacterial materials equipped with switchable "bacteria-killing" and "bacteria-releasing" abilities have been created by scientists. However, most of them are either biologically incompatible, or complex fabricating procedures, or cannot prevent themselves from being attached by bacteria. In this work, a double-layer smart antibacterial surface was created easily by simple surface initiate atom transfer radical polymerization: the upper layer PSBMA provides anti-bacteria adhesion capacity, the NCl bond can show bacteria-killing ability and the under layer PNIPAM can exhibit bacteria-releasing property. Remarkably, the NCl bond can interconvert with the NH bond easily, which allows switching between bacteria-killing and bacteria-releasing. As a result, the functional cotton fabrics can resist about 99.66 % of bacteria attaching, kill nearly 100 % of attached bacteria after 5 min contacting and release about 99.02 % of the formerly attached bacteria. Furthermore, the functional cotton fabric kept excellent anti-bacteria adhesion ability (about 99.27 %) and bacteria-releasing capacity (about 98.30 %) after 9 cycles of re-chlorination. In general, a reversible "bacteria-killing" and "bacteria-releasing" cotton fabric was fabricated with well anti-bacteria adhesion capacity in a simple way, and this smart multifunctional cotton fabric shows a great potential application in reusable protective clothing.

Chitosan-Based Hydrogels for Controlled Delivery of Asiaticoside-Rich Centella asiatica Extracts with Wound Healing Potential

Centella asiatica extract is a valued plant material with known anti-inflammatory and anti-microbiological properties. Using the Design of Experiment (DoE) approach, it was possible to obtain an optimized water/alcoholic extract from Centella asiatica, which allowed the preparation of the final material with biological activity in the wound healing process. Studies on the novel applications of Centella asiatica in conjunction with the multifunctional chitosan carrier have been motivated by the plant's substantial pharmacological activity and the need to develop new and effective methods for the treatment of chronic wounds. The controlled release of asiaticoside was made possible by the use of chitosan as a carrier. Based on the findings of investigations using the PAMPA skin assay, which is a model imitating the permeability of actives through skin, this compound, characterized by sustained release from the chitosan delivery system, was identified as being well able to permeate biological membranes such as skin. Chitosan and the lyophilized extract of Centella asiatica worked synergistically to block hyaluronidase, exert efficient microbiological activity and take part in the wound healing process, as proven in an in vitro model. A formulation containing 3% extract with 3% medium-molecular-weight chitosan was indicated as a potentially new treatment with high compliance and effectiveness for patients. Optimization of the chitosan-based hydrogel preparation ensured the required rheological properties necessary for the release of the bioactive from the chitosan delivery system and demonstrated a satisfactory antimicrobial activity.

Bletilla striata composite nanofibrous membranes prepared by emulsion electrospinning for enhanced healing of diabetic wounds

Diabetic wounds impose enormous distress and financial burden on patients, and finding effective dressings to manage wounds is critical. As a Chinese herbal medicine with a long history of Clinical application, Bletilla striata has significant medicinal effects in the therapy of various wounds. In this study, PLA and the pharmacodynamic substances of Bletilla striata were prepared into fibrous scaffolds by emulsion electrospinning technology for the management of diabetic wounds in mice. The results of scanning electron microscopy showed that the core-shell structure fibre was successfully obtained by emulsion electrospinning. The fibre membrane exhibited excellent water absorption capability and water vapor transmission rate, could inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, had good compatibility, and achieved excellent healing effect on diabetic wounds. Especially in the in vivo wound healing experiment, the wound healing rate of composite fibre membrane treatment reached 98.587 ± 2.149% in 16 days. This work demonstrated the good therapeutic effect of the developed fibrous membrane to diabetic wound, and this membrane could be potentially applied to chronic wound healing.

Mussel-Inspired Multifunctional Hydrogels with Adhesive, Self-Healing, Antioxidative, and Antibacterial Activity for Wound Healing

Antibacterial hydrogel wound dressings with adhesive and antioxidant activity are desirable for treating skin injuries in clinical care. Hereby, a series of multifunctional hydrogel wound dressings with high adhesive, self-healing, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity were designed and fabricated using dopamine (DA) and quercetin (QT). The multifunctional hydrogels were constructed by the interpenetrated quaternized chitosan chain segments and polyacrylamide network. The catechol groups on DA, QT, and the quaternary ammonium groups in the hydrogel system endow hydrogels with high strength, excellent adhesion, and self-healing ability. The results confirmed the admirable hemocompatibility and remarkable antibacterial activity of the multifunction hydrogels against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Consequently, multifunction hydrogels with satisfactory adhesive and antibacterial activity are appropriate alternative materials in the fields of tissue adhesive and wound dressing applications.

Phytoconstituent-Loaded Nanofibrous Meshes as Wound Dressings: A Concise Review

In the past, wounds were treated with natural materials, but modern wound dressings include functional elements to expedite the process of healing and to improve skin recovery. Due to their exceptional properties, nanofibrous wound dressings are now the most cutting-edge and desirable option. Similar in structure to the skin’s own extracellular matrix (ECM), these dressings can promote tissue regeneration, wound fluid transportation, and air ductility for cellular proliferation and regeneration owing to their nanostructured fibrous meshes or scaffolds. Many academic search engines and databases, such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Sciencedirect, were used to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the literature for the purposes of this investigation. Using the term “nanofibrous meshes” as a keyword, this paper focuses on the importance of phytoconstituents. This review article summarizes the most recent developments and conclusions from studies on bioactive nanofibrous wound dressings infused with medicinal plants. Several wound-healing methods, wound-dressing materials, and wound-healing components derived from medicinal plants were also discussed.

A Schiff base hydrogel dressing loading extracts from Periplaneta Americana for diabetic wound healing

As a common complication of diabetic patients, the chronic wound of diabetes has a high incidence, expensive treatment, and recurrence probability, which causes long-term negative impacts on patients' daily life. In this study, the hydrogel was formed by Schiff base reaction between oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), and the composite hydrogel dressing was prepared by adding the active polypeptides extract of Periplaneta Americana (PAE). By mass spectrometer determined, PAE mainly includes vitellogenins that can trigger an immune response. The composite hydrogel has good swelling properties, proper fluidity, and a regular 3D network structure. The hydrogel has good cytocompatibility and can promote cell proliferation by L929 fibroblast assay. Finally, it was used to evaluate the effect of diabetic wound repair. The results showed that it could effectively promote wound healing, promote tissue and vascular regeneration, inhibit inflammatory factors, and promote the expression of growth factors. The OHA/CMCS/PAE hydrogels would be promising candidates for chronic wound healing applications.

Morphological and molecular characterization of bacterial endophytes from Centella asiatica leaves

BACKGROUND

Endophytes are a rich source of novel, distinct, and applicable compounds of interest in agricultural, medical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. In this respect, they have been attracting growing interest in the past few years. Endophytes are defined as microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi which have a mutualistic relationship with their host plants without causing any harm to their host. In this study, we isolated and identified bacterial endophytes from Centella asiatica collected in Western Cape, South Africa.

RESULTS

Twenty bacterial endophytes were isolated from Centella asiatica and characterized by using morphological and molecular techniques. Based on molecular traits, the isolates were identified as Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM1, Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM2, Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM3, Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM4, Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM5, Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM6, Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM7, Novosphingobium sp. strain SGM8, Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM9, Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM10, Chryseobacterium sp. strain SGM11, Enterobacter sp. strain SGM12, Enterobacter sp. strain SGM13, Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM14, Enterobacter sp. strain SGM15, Enterobacter sp. strain SGM16, Agrobacterium sp. strain SGM17, Pantoea sp. strain SGM18, Paraburkholderia sp. strain SGM19, and Pseudomonas sp. strain SGM20. Pseudomonas genus was dominant with eleven isolates. Morphological trait results showed that all isolates were gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria.

CONCLUSION

According to our understanding, this study revealed the first twenty endophytic bacteria isolated from Centella asiatica growing in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Data obtained in the current study will increase the knowledge of the already existing microbial diversity associated with Centella asiatica. Further work is needed to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities in vitro and assess the growth and medicinal compounds of the identified endophytic bacteria in a laboratory scale bioreactors.