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

Hi,

My name is Arjunvir Tuteja. I am a grade 8 student at David Thompson Secondary in Vancouver, BC and a member of Team BC for the 2026 CWSF. Did you know that at any given time, as many as 1 in 5 adults will be suffering from an undetected and untreated wound infection in any rural area of a developing country?

This is why I created Derma-Heal, to help address this under-recognized crisis of undetected and untreated wound infections by bridging the low medical literacy and poor access to quality healthcare gap.

My project informs the user of a wound infection by detecting wound alkalization through visible chromatic shifts using a red cabbage-derived anthocyanin pH-Indicator while simultaneously using a potent antimicrobial matrix composed of medical-grade raw Manuka honey and curcumin (Turmeric) to neutralize the infection and the threat to the user's health.

My goal is to make Derma-Heal a commercially available medical tool to help provide access to low-cost, high-quality and autonomous healthcare in medical literacy and resource-limited areas, helping save money, resources and lives.

"As per IQWiG, 2025, 1-2% of the population of any developing country is estimated to be suffering from an undetected and untreated infected wounds at any time." Derma-Heal is designed to address this global crisis of undetected and untreated infected wounds by bridging this gap of low medical literacy and poor access to quality healthcare.

Background Information

Opportunistic pathogens on the diverse skin flora, along with pathogenic bacteria in the surrounding environment, can cause a healthy, healing wound (acidic and maintains a pH of between 5.5 and 7.0) to turn infected (alkaline and maintains a pH of between 7.2 and 9.0).

The diagnostic colorimetry of “Derma-Heal” is powered by Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra (Red Cabbage) derived-anthocyanins; molecules highly sensitive to hydrogen ion concentrations. In low, acidic pH, these molecules reflect purple and red wavelengths of light, visible to us as pink. In high, alkaline pH, anthocyanins reflect green and yellow wavelengths, which are visible to us as bluish green.

Derma-Heal uses a potent methylglyoxal concentration (829+ mg/kg) from medical-grade raw Manuka honey and curcumin from turmeric for its potent antimicrobial solution. Methylglyoxal is a compound proven to kill even drug-resistant bacteria by targeting proteins in the fimbriae and flagella (effectively paralyzing the bacteria) and also targeting amino acids to stop cellular processes and cause water loss through osmotic lysis.

Moreover, curcumin causes loss of bacterial membrane integrity, strengthening the antimicrobial solution even more.

Methodology

4 Petri Dishes, P1-P2-P3-P4, were prepared using an agar-agar, beef bouillon, distilled water and sucrose nutrient medium (Figure 1)

Acidic (pH-6.0) and Alkaline (pH-8.0) stimulants were prepared by using acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate paired with distilled water to model physiological wound pH (Figure 2)

Anthocyanin pigments were isolated from chopped red cabbage through a full boil - consistent 100°C. 5 gauze strips, S1-S2-S3-S4-S5 (90 mm x 20 mm), were dipped and dried (Figures 3 and 4)

A potent antimicrobial bioactive matrix was prepared by homogenizing medical-grade raw Manuka honey, turmeric and distilled water (Figure 4)

pH-Colorimetry was tested by applying 2mL of the alkaline stimulant to S1 and acidic stimulant to S2. Distilled water (control) applied to S3. Strips S4 and S5 (Experimental Treated) were treated with the antimicrobial matrix prior to application of 2mL of the alkaline stimulant. Chromatic shifts were recorded using a high-resolution camera (Figures 5 and 6)

P1-P2-P3-P4 were inoculated with commensal skin flora from the inner arm using sterile cotton swabs. S4 and S5 were centrally placed in P1 and P3, respectively. A water-dipped gauze strip was placed in P2, and P4 was left as a blank negative control.

Petri dishes were incubated at 37°C, inverted, for 48 hours in an incubator (Figure 7)

Steps were then repeated to replicate trials 2 and 3 (n=12).

Key Materials

267 g – Chopped Red Cabbage

3 – Large Band-Aid® Sterile Gauze (10.2cm x 10.2cm)

22.19 mL – New Zealand Honey Co.® Medical-Grade Raw Manuka Honey (MGO 829+UMF 20+)

4.2 g – Turmeric Powder

12.6 g – Limino® AgarAgar Powder

13.5 g – Knorr® Oxo® Beef Bouillon Powder

2805 mL–PureLife® Water

5 – Vabiooth® Petri Dishes (Diameter 90mm-Height 15mm)

1 – Quincy Lab® Model 10-140 Incubator

15 mL –Sodium Bicarbonate and Acetic Acid

Data-Acquisition

Diagnostic accuracy of pH-Colorimetry tested in 3 trials - 12 gauze strips tested, 4 of each category - Acidic, Alkaline, Distilled Water Control and Experimental Treated

Strip Category-Description-Purpose

Acidic: To-indicate a healthy/healing wound (pH-6.0). Simulated using the exact physiological pH of a healthy/healing wound using an acetic acid solution - baseline for normal wound conditions.

Alkaline: To-model the pH of an infected wound (pH-8.0). Simulated using the exact pH of an infected wound using a sodium bicarbonate solution - served as the positive control for chromatic shifts.

Distilled Water Control: To-validate that moisture alone does not trigger a false-positive chromatic shift, isolating pH as the sole variable.

Experimental Treated "All-in-one" Prototype (Fully simulated infection step 1 - infection detection): To-assess the biocompatibility between the pH-Indicator and the antimicrobial matrix, ensuring the manuka-honey curcumin solution does not interfere with diagnostic reliability using the alkaline simulant on the treated, red cabbage dipped bandage.

The antimicrobial efficacy of the Manuka honey-Curcumin solution was tested on inoculated commensal dermal flora, in 3 trials - 12 total plates, 4 of each category - Treated, Water Control and Plain Agar Negative Control.

Plate Category-Description-Purpose

Treated Bandage Plate (P1/P2) (Fully simulated infection step 2 - microbial inhibition): 2nd part of the simulated infection (after the diagnostic colorimetric shift has occurred). To-assess the biocompatibility between the antimicrobial matrix and the pH-indicator, ensuring the chromatic shift from baseline to bluish green (wound-alkalization detected) does not affect the bactericidal efficacy of the manuka honey-curcumin solution.

Distilled Water Bandage Control Plate (P3): Contained a distilled water-dipped gauze strip to prove microbial inhibition in the treated bandage plates is due to the bactericidal action of the potent antimicrobial solution, not due to moisture or a gauze strip.

Plain-Agar Negative Control: To-confirm the nutrient agar medium is capable of supporting bacterial growth, and any lack of growth in the treated bandage plates is due to the efficacy of the antimicrobial solution at inhibiting microbial growth.

Analysis-of-Results

The mean percentage of inhibition = 96.25%, verified against a microscope. The only treated bandage plate which failed to deliver a 100% of inhibition was P3 in trial 1, due to a source of error, in which the treated gauze strip didn't come into contact with the edges of the plate, as it remained suspended when inverted during incubation, causing only 85% inhibition. Observations suggest the manuka honey-curcumin solution works best when full surface contact is achieved to achieve the highest bactericidal efficacy.

All distilled water bandage and plain agar control plates showed a full bacterial lawn across the petri dish, confirming the microbial inhibition in the treated bandage plates is due to the efficacy of the manuka honey-curcumin solution and not due to moisture, a gauze strip or a lack of nutrients in the agar medium.

Next, the anthocyanin pH-Indicator achieved 100% diagnostic accuracy across 3-trials. All chromatic shifts were fully accurate, and the control water gauze confirmed the diagnostic reliability.

The pH-indicator's diagnostic accuracy and the antimicrobial matrix's bactericidal efficacy are not only accurate but also reproducible.

The FINAL Goal: To turn Derma-Heal from a prototype to a globally accessible, autonomous point-of-care medical tool to help save lives, money and resources

Future Improvements:

1. Increasing the Shelf Life of the Red Cabbage-Derived Anthocyanins Extract using Lyophilization Protocol

2. Integration of a Hydrogel, Biopolymer Film or Nanofiber Scaffold for increasing of therapeutic efficacy

3. Increasing the number of trials and testing the efficacy of the antimicrobial solution against common wound pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli (Testing the limits of Derma-Heal)

The FINAL Goal: To turn Derma-Heal from a prototype to a commercially viable, autonomous point-of-care medical dressing to help save lives, money and resources

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone whose collective efforts helped contribute to Derma-Heal's successful experimental outcomes.

REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Webpages and Articles

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Carolina Staff. (2020, August 19). Make your own indicators. Carolina Biological Supply Company. https://knowledge.carolina.com/discipline/physical-science/chemistry/make-your-own-indicators/

Cleveland Clinic. (2024, January 19). Purulent drainage. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/purulent-drainage

CNN. (2017, November 24). Manuka honey claims partner. https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/24/health/manuka-honey-claims-partner

End Sepsis. (2025). Sepsis and wounds. https://www.endsepsis.org/what-is-sepsis/sepsis-and-wounds/

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). (2025). Overview: Chronic wounds. InformedHealth.org. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK326431/

University of Waterloo. (2018, February). Thought Lab: Using turmeric indicator. Chem 13 News Magazine. https://uwaterloo.ca/chem13-news-magazine/february-2018/feature/thought-lab-using-turmeric-indicator

WebMD. (2025, August 24). Manuka honey: Medicinal uses, benefits, and side effects. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/manuka-honey-medicinal-uses

Journal Articles

Bennison, L. R., Miller, C. N., Summers, R. J., Minnis, A. M. B., Sussman, G., & McGuiness, W. (2017). The pH of wounds during healing and infection: A descriptive literature review. Wound Practice and Research, 25(2), 63–68. https://journals.cambridgemedia.com.au/wpr/volume-25-number-2/ph-wounds-during-healing-and-infection-descriptive-literature-review/

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Hussain, Y., Alam, W., Ullah, H., Dacrema, M., Daglia, M., Khan, H., & Arciola, C. R. (2022). Antimicrobial potential of curcumin: Therapeutic potential and challenges to clinical applications. Antibiotics, 11(3), 322. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8944843/

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Kocaadam, B., & Şanlier, N. (2017). Curcumin, an active component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), and its effects on health. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 57(13), 2889–2895. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7522354/

Maheshwari, G. (2024). Chronic wounds: A rising public health concern. Wounds Asia, 7(1). https://woundsasia.com/journal-articles/chronic-wounds-a-rising-public-health-concern/

Mandal, M. D., & Mandal, S. (2011). Honey: Its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 1(2), 154–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60016-6

Scientific Reports. (2025). Naked eye detection of hydrogen peroxide via curcumin functionalized gold nanoparticles. Scientific Reports, 15(Article ID s41598-025-01613-y). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-01613-y

Serem, J. C., Lall, N., & Rautenbach, F. (2016). How methylglyoxal kills bacteria: An ultrastructural study. Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology, 30(7), 256–265. https://doi.org/10.3109/01913123.2016.1154914

Zheng, D., Huang, C., Huang, H., Zhao, Y., Khan, M. R. U., Zhao, H., & Huang, L. (2020). Antibacterial mechanism of curcumin: A review. Chemistry & Biodiversity, 17(8), Article e2000171. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202000171

Gul, A., Gallus, I., Tegginamath, A., Maryska, J., & Yalcinkaya, F. (2021). Electrospun antibacterial nanomaterials for wound dressings applications. Membranes, 11(12), 908. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8707140/

Cho, E., Yun, S., Lee, S., Kim, M., Choi, J., Choi, S. E., Lim, K. S., Ha, S. J., Yun, J. H., & Kim, H. O. (2025). Polymer- and Lipid-Based Nanostructures for Wound Healing with Barrier-Resolved Design. Pharmaceutics, 17(11), 1501. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17111501

Images

Tankeshwar, A. (2021, June 5). Normal flora of the skin-skin microbiome. Microbe Online. https://microbeonline.com/skin-normal-flora/