Derma-Heal: A Natural, pH-Indicating Antimicrobial Treatment for Accessible Wound Care

Overview

Undetected and untreated infected wounds are a global leading cause of undiagnosed illness, especially in developing countries. Derma-Heal is designed to address this unattended crisis by developing a "smart", low-cost, natural wound dressing capable of simultaneous infection detection and antimicrobial treatment to indicate and neutralize infections and the threat they pose to a person's health.  This project utilized the pH-sensitive properties of red cabbage-derived anthocyanins for active diagnostic colorimetry when exposed to an alkaline wound environment, paired with medical-grade Manuka honey with a Methylglyoxal concentration of 829mg/kg and Curcumin from Turmeric for strong bactericidal action. The prototype achieved a mean inhibition of 96.25% against dermal flora, whereas the pH-Indicating sensor achieved 100% diagnostic accuracy across controlled trials.  By making invisible chemistry visible, Derma-Heal provides a non-toxic, biocompatible, low-cost tool to intercept health-threatening complications, ensuring low medical literacy or poor access to quality healthcare no longer dictates a person's overall health.

Awards (2)

• Silver Medal
• Selected for CWSF 2026

Competition history

• CWSF 2026 Disease & Illness

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