Author & Research Contributor
Published in 2026 | VOLUME 03, JULY ISSUE 07Wound infection is one of the major challenges in wound management and may delay the normal healing process. Conventional wound dressings mainly act as physical barriers and do not provide visual indication regarding wound condition or antimicrobial activity. Therefore, the present study was focused on the preparation and evaluation of a colour-change antimicrobial wound care pad using simple pharmaceutical materials. The formulation was prepared using povidone iodine as an antimicrobial agent, soluble starch as a colour indicator, PVP as a polymer, and sterile cotton gauze as the dressing base. The wound care pad was prepared by dip-coating method followed by controlled drying. During formulation development, starch–iodine interaction produced visible blue colour indicating successful colour response within the dressing system. Different formulation trials were carried out to improve coating behaviour and flexibility of the prepared pad. The prepared dressing was evaluated for physical appearance, coating uniformity, flexibility, absorbency, and colour response. The study demonstrated that the prepared formulation possesses antimicrobial and visual indication properties. However, certain limitations such as non-uniform coating and reduced flexibility after drying were observed, indicating the need for further optimization. Overall, the present work successfully demonstrated the feasibility of developing a simple, economical, and colour-change antimicrobial wound care pad using easily available materials and laboratory techniques.
Colour-Change Wound Dressing, Antimicrobial Wound Care Pad, Smart Wound Dressing, Povidone Iodine, Starch-Iodine Interaction, Wound Infection, Wound Healing.