Transparent Kapok Fiber Antibacterial Dressing Enabling Visual Wound Monitoring and Healing Acceleration

Monitoring wound healing status is crucial for regulating the healing process. Within this context, functional dressings possessing transparency for visual inspection represent a significant research focus, as they enable continuous wound observation without removal. This study successfully developed a transparent cellulose-based dressings derived from natural kapok fibers, exhibiting excellent optical clarity, antibacterial activity and pro-healing properties. A structurally stable and optically transparent dressing matrix is constructed through fibrillation-induced entanglement and interfibrillar locking of kapok fibers. This structural characteristic allows for optical visualization of the wound bed, facilitating real-time dynamic monitoring. To further enhance functionality, L-borneol is introduced via surface grafting, conferring resistance to bacterial adhesion. In vitro assays confirmed the excellent biocompatibility of transparent dressing. Concurrently, L-borneol improved the transdermal delivery efficiency of growth factors, and effectively promoted cell migration and proliferation. In both normal and diabetic wound models, the transparent dressing accelerated healing rates. Collectively, this multifunctional transparent cellulose-based dressings provides a promising solution for advancing integrated strategies in wound healing monitoring and treatment.