Durian is known for its pungent smell, so much so that it has been banned by some public transportation systems. Although it may not be a big seller in Western countries, it is widely consumed in Asia. Scientists from Singapore have developed a new method to produce environmentally friendly, low-cost, wound healing, antibacterial hydrogel bandages using durian shells discarded in other ways.

Hydrogel bandages are usually applied directly to postoperative wounds to reduce scars by keeping the wound area moist during the early stages of the healing process. In contrast, ordinary gauze dressings can dry out the area.

Hydrogels are usually made of synthetic polymers, and copper or silver ions are added to give them antibacterial properties. However, these polymers are made from non-renewable resources and are not biodegradable. Most importantly, the addition of metal ions makes the bandage more expensive.

Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) turned to durian husks-which often end up in landfills or composting facilities-to create an environmentally friendly alternative.

The team, led by Professor William Chen, extracts high-quality cellulose from the husk and mixes it with two ingredients: an antibacterial chemical derived from baker’s yeast, called natural yeast phenol, and glycerin leftover from the production of soap and biodiesel . The resulting substance is a soft antibacterial gel with a texture comparable to silica gel and can be cut into thin slices.

When the scientists tested the bandage on animal skin in the laboratory, it showed "good antibacterial effect" after two days of use. As a bonus, durian hydrogel bandages should be much cheaper than traditional bandages, and they will naturally degrade when discarded.

By using the large amounts of waste currently discarded-durian shells and glycerin-we can turn the waste into valuable biomedical resources, thereby speeding up wound healing and reducing the chance of infection.

The NTU team published their research in the ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering Journal.

Durian waste can also be used to charge electronic devices. Last year, researchers at the University of Sydney developed a method to convert durian waste into supercapacitors, which can be used to charge laptops, mobile phones, etc.