Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> The development of wound dressings with robust mechanical strength, effective antibacterial properties, and optimal water vapor permeability is essential for preventing wound infections. This study presents a simple method for fabricating nanocomposite hydrogel films by integrating zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles into a carboxymethylcellulose/alginate (CMC/Alg) matrix, using glycerol as a plasticizer and citric acid as a crosslinker. ZIF-8 nanoparticles were in-situ synthesized into the polymeric network of hydrogel <italic>via</italic> a straightforward casting technique, confirming through different analyses. The in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation (MTT assay) and DAPI fluorescence imaging revealed high cellular compatibility of the CMC/Alg_ZIF-8 hydrogel films, maintaining over 75% cell viability with normal nuclear cell morphology. Moreover, the blood clotting assay demonstrated effective hemostatic behavior comparable to commercial gauze, suggesting the potential to accelerate wound closure. The antibacterial assessment showed significant inhibitory effects against both <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> and <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> , with inhibition zones of approximately 3 cm. These results indicate that CMC/Alg_ZIF-8 hydrogel films are promising candidates for antibacterial wound dressings. </p>