{
  "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.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yassine El-Ghoul",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9520-1793"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sami M. Alharbi",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-4217-2552"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Suliman S. Aba-alkhayl"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Bechir Hammami",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4310-2686"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cws0cjtncszez.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/polym18212794",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "cws0cjtncszez",
  "issns": [
    "2073-4360"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2794",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-08",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cws0cjtncszez.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-10T00:21:22Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/polym18212794",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2794"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "issn:2073-4360",
      "subfield": "materials-polymers"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Synthesis and Characterization of a Propolis-Containing Cellulosic Textile Functionalized with a Crosslinked Agar/κ-Carrageenan Biopolymer Network: Structure–Property Relationships and In Vitro Biological Responses",
  "title_text": "Synthesis and Characterization of a Propolis-Containing Cellulosic Textile Functionalized with a Crosslinked Agar/κ-Carrageenan Biopolymer Network: Structure–Property Relationships and In Vitro Biological Responses",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-10T00:21:22Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cws0cjtncszez",
  "venue": "Polymers",
  "versions": []
}