Bacterial cellulose-chitosan-silver nanocomposite from coffee (Coffea Arabica) kombucha: A biofabricated matrix for in vitro wound healing

Bacterial cellulose derived from coffee kombucha (KBC) is a renewable, biocompatible biopolymer; however, its limited intrinsic antimicrobial activity limits its biomedical applications. In this study, a sustainable and integrated biosynthetic approach was used to develop chitosan-reinforced, silver nanoparticle-decorated kombucha bacterial cellulose nanocomposite (KCBC-Ag). Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) biosynthesized by the coffee kombucha consortium had an average diameter of approximately 50 nm and were uniformly distributed within the cellulose matrix. The KBC-Ag exhibited potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , demonstrated high cytocompatibility toward HaCaT cells, and significantly improved wound closure in scratch assay (approximately 98% after 24 h). Additionally, the scaffold displayed favorable swelling properties and environmental degradability. These results indicate that KBC-Ag is a promising, sustainably fabricated wound dressing material that integrates biocompatibility, antibacterial performance, and regenerative capacity, with potential for biomedical applications.