Electrospun Methacrylated Gelatin/Poly(L-Lactic Acid) Nanofibrous Hydrogel Scaffolds for Potential Wound Dressing Application

Electrospun nanofiber mats have attracted intense attention as advanced wound dressing materials. The objective of this study was to fabricate methacrylated gelatin (MeGel)/poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) hybrid nanofiber mats with an extracellular matrix (ECM) mimicking nanofibrous structure and hydrogel-like properties for potential use as wound dressing materials. MeGel was first synthesized via the methacryloyl substitution of gelatin (Gel), a series of MeGel and PLLA blends with various mass ratios were electrospun into nanofiber mats, and a UV crosslinking process was subsequently utilized to stabilize the MeGel components in the nanofibers. All the as-crosslinked nanofiber mats exhibited smooth and bead-free fiber morphologies. The MeGel-containing and crosslinked nanofiber mats presented significantly improved hydrophilic properties (water contact angle = 0°; 100% wettability) compared to the pure PLLA nanofiber mats (~127°). The swelling ratio of crosslinked nanofiber mats notably increased with the increase of MeGel (143.6 ± 7.4% for PLLA mats vs. 875.0 ± 17.1% for crosslinked 1:1 MeGel/PLLA mats vs. 1135.2 ± 16.0% for crosslinked MeGel mats). The UV crosslinking process was demonstrated to significantly improve the structural stability and mechanical properties of MeGel/PLLA nanofiber mats. The Young’s modulus and ultimate strength of the crosslinked nanofiber mats were demonstrated to obviously decrease when more MeGel was introduced in both dry and wet conditions. The biological tests showed that all the crosslinked nanofiber mats presented great biocompatibility, but the crosslinked nanofiber mats with more MeGel were able to notably promote the attachment, growth, and proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts. Overall, this study demonstrates that our MeGel/PLLA blend nanofiber mats are attractive candidates for wound dressing material research and application.

Cerium-oxide-loaded poly(ɛ-caprolactone) hydrogel wound dressing for cutaneous wound healing and antimicrobial treatment in burn wound infection: Development and detailed biological evaluation

Wound dressing materials are essential in wound healing care management. In addition to their supportive effect on the care management, polysaccharides and metal oxide nanoparticles actively contribute to the healing process. CeO2 nanoparticles can promote wound healing through oxidative damage in the wound environment against elevated levels of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, it is necessary to develop multi-functional hydrogel wound dressing materials to stimulate wound healing. In this study, a CeO2-loaded poly(ɛ-caprolactone)/PEC polymeric hydrogel was fabricated as a cutaneous wound-healing material. The in-vitro cytotoxic and wound healing activities were analyzed using the fabricated material in mice. A histological examination showed that the nanofibrous material accelerated the reepithelialization and provided an excellent collagen deposition. In addition, the prepared hydrogels were tested against S. aureus and E. coli. Our results evidence the unique characteristics of the hydrogel wound dressing material exhibiting antibacterial and antioxidant activities and good biocompatibility and healing efficiencies by enhancing the reepithelialization and granulation formation and effectively accelerating the wound healing to prevent skin infections.

ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF RABBIT COLLAGEN GLUE-CHITOSAN BIOMATERIAL LOADED WITH CYMBOPOGON FLEXUOSUS ESSENTIAL OIL

One approach to develop innovative antimicrobial wound dressing materials is to use natural polymers loaded with antimicrobial agents. The valorisation of animal proteins as biomaterials with antimicrobial properties is a new concern for development of wound healing. Plant esssential oils (EO) also indicate a potential approach for new wound dressing materials able to replace the synthetic antymicrobial agents. In this paper, plant-polymeric film was prepared by casting film-forming emulsion based on lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) essential oil/Tween 80 dispersed into rabbit collagen glue hydrolysate– chitosan biomaterial. The effect of biomaterial film composition on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and Escherichia coli ATCC 10536 standard bacteria, and Candida albicans ATCC 10231 pathogenic fungus was studied according to European Pharmacopoeia 10/2020 as compared with biomaterial film without essential oil. The in vitro antibacterial tests against three bacterial strains showed that the rabbit collagen glue hydrolysate–chitosan biomaterial inhibited all the three microorganisms. The rabbit collagen hydrolysate glue-chitosan film loaded with lemongrass essential oil exhibits antimicrobial activity towards tested microorganisms but lower as compared with control. The explanation could be due to the short time of investigation, or maybe some active compounds constituents of EO, which favour the cellular proliferation. Preparation of rabbit collagen glue hydrolysate-chitosan biomaterial loaded with lemongrass essential oil is an environmentally friendly solution, which may contribute to the development of wound healing materials as an alternative to topical antimicrobial agents.

Developmental prospectives of new generation super absorbent wound dressing materials from sulfated polysaccharide of marine red algae

Wound healing remains as a dynamic process and the type of dressing material significantly affects the efficacy of healing. The identification of ideal dressings to use for a particular wound type is an important requisite facilitating the entire process of healing. Chronic, high exudate wounds are dynamic in presentation and remain as a major health care burden. Researchers have sort to design and optimize biodegradable wound dressings that focuses to optimize moisture retentiveness, as superior character in the healing process. In addition, dressings have been designed to visualize the wound bed by improving the optical property, target and kill infection-causing bacteria, with the incorporation of antimicrobial agents, nanomaterials and numerous other measures. For the practitioners, choosing the optimal dressing decreases time to healing, provides cost-effective care and improves patient quality of life. The current mini review highlights the ideal characters of wound dressing materials and presents insights on the superior characters of carrageenan bio composites for prospective advancements in research in the area of wound care and management.

Co-electrospun nanofibrous mats loaded with bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) extract as the wound dressing materials: in vitro and in vivo study

Background Interactive dressings are innovatively designed to interact with the wound surface and alter the wound environment to promote wound healing. In the current study, we integrated the physicochemical properties of Poly (caprolactone)/ Poly (vinyl alcohol)/Collagen (PCL/PVA/Col) nanofibers with the biological activities of Momordica charantia pulp extract to develop an efficient wound dressing. The electrospinning method was applied to fabricate the nanofibers, and the prepared wound dressings were thoroughly characterized. Results SEM imaging showed that the nanofibers were uniform, straight, without any beds with a diameter in the range of 260 to 480 nm. Increasing the concentration of the extract increased the diameter of the nanofibers and also the wettability characteristics while reduced the ultimate tensile strength from 4.37 ± 0.90 MPa for PCL/PVA/Col to 1.62 ± 0.50 MPa for PCL/PVA/Col/Ex 10% (p < 0.05). The in vivo studies showed that the application of the wound dressings significantly enhanced the healing process and the highest wound closure, 94.01 ± 8.12%, was obtained by PCL/PVA/Col/Ex 10% nanofibers (p < 0.05). Conclusion The incorporation of the extract had no significant effects on nanofibers’ porosity, water vapor permeability, and swelling characteristics. The in vitro evaluations showed that the fabricated nanofibers were hemocompatible, cytocompatible, and prevent bacterial penetration through the dressing. These findings implied that the PCL/PVA/Col/Ex nanofibers can be applied as the wound dressing materials.

Emerging Role of Hydrogels in Drug Delivery Systems, Tissue Engineering and Wound Management

The popularity of hydrogels as biomaterials lies in their tunable physical properties, ability to encapsulate small molecules and macromolecular drugs, water holding capacity, flexibility, and controllable degradability. Functionalization strategies to overcome the deficiencies of conventional hydrogels and expand the role of advanced hydrogels such as DNA hydrogels are extensively discussed in this review. Different types of cross-linking techniques, materials utilized, procedures, advantages, and disadvantages covering hydrogels are tabulated. The application of hydrogels, particularly in buccal, oral, vaginal, and transdermal drug delivery systems, are described. The review also focuses on composite hydrogels with enhanced properties that are being developed to meet the diverse demand of wound dressing materials. The unique advantages of hydrogel nanoparticles in targeted and intracellular delivery of various therapeutic agents are explained. Furthermore, different types of hydrogel-based materials utilized for tissue engineering applications and fabrication of contact lens are discussed. The article also provides an overview of selected examples of commercial products launched particularly in the area of oral and ocular drug delivery systems and wound dressing materials. Hydrogels can be prepared with a wide variety of properties, achieving biostable, bioresorbable, and biodegradable polymer matrices, whose mechanical properties and degree of swelling are tailored with a specific application. These unique features give them a promising future in the fields of drug delivery systems and applied biomedicine.

Nanotechnology Development for Formulating Essential Oils in Wound Dressing Materials to Promote the Wound-Healing Process: A Review

Wound healing refers to the replacement of damaged tissue through strongly coordinated cellular events. The patient’s condition and different types of wounds complicate the already intricate healing process. Conventional wound dressing materials seem to be insufficient to facilitate and support this mechanism. Nanotechnology could provide the physicochemical properties and specific biological responses needed to promote the healing process. For nanoparticulate dressing design, growing interest has focused on natural biopolymers due to their biocompatibility and good adaptability to technological needs. Polysaccharides are the most common natural biopolymers used for wound-healing materials. In particular, alginate and chitosan polymers exhibit intrinsic antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, useful for guaranteeing efficient treatment. Recent studies highlight that several natural plant-derived molecules can influence healing stages. In particular, essential oils show excellent antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties that can be amplified by combining them with nanotechnological strategies. This review summarizes recent studies concerning essential oils as active secondary compounds in polysaccharide-based wound dressings.