POLYVINYL ALCOHOL/WULUH STARFRUIT LEAVES (AVERRHOA BILIMBI) EXTRACT HYDROGEL SYNTHESIZED WITH FREEZE-THAW METHOD: PHYSICAL AND ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES

• Main Author: Arianto, Denny
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/49572
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Hydrogel are three-dimensional network structure of hydrophilic polymers that can absorb and hold water while maintaining its structure due to chemical and physical bonds of polymer chains. One of the methods used in hydrogel manufacturing is freeze-thaw. This method forms hydrogel with physical cross-linking and able to form the stable structure without cross-linking agents that can be toxic to the human body. Hydrogels can be formed from natural or synthetic polymers and can be composited with active materials. Wuluh starfruit (Averrhoa bilimbi) is a medicinal plant that is widely grown in Indonesia and is interesting to study because it has antibacterial properties. In this study, the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel was successfully fabricated with composite of wuluh starfruit leaf extract (WSLE) and studied its potential as wound dressing. Infrared spectrometry (FTIR) shows the interrelated composition of the PVA/WSLE hydrogel structure. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and porosity confirm that the hydrogels have porous structure and influenced by the degree of polymer cross-linking. The porosity formed up to 82.5% and is comparable to the increase in the content of WSLE. The test of degree of swelling was used to determine the ability of the hydrogel to absorb PBS liquid pH 7.4 and showed the degree of swelling up to 220%. The mechanical properties of the samples were tested using compressive testing and the degree of mechanical strength was influenced by the amount of polymer composition and liquid content and influenced the degree of crystallinity. PB hydrogel has good antibacterial activity with an inhibitory level of bacterial growth above 25%.From the research data, it can be concluded that the PVA/WSLE hydrogel has great potential for wound dressing applications.