Abstract
Active dressings acting on multiple fronts are requested in the field of care for chronic skin ulcers in order to ameliorate patient compliance and tissue restoration. Currently, three-dimensional polymeric hydrogels are widely investigated; however, no prototypes aiming to control oxidative stress and bacterial proliferation in the wound bed have been developed up until now. The present work describes the formulation of a novel chitosan-based printable material containing α-tocopherol at stable dosages to obtain reproducible 3D scaffolds possessing antioxidant and antimicrobial activity without the use of organic solvents. Stability assays mimicking the manufacturing process and storage conditions reveal no significant drug loss. Chemico-physical characterizations including porosity and behavior after dehydration/hydration demonstrate that the dressings are highly porous, can be dehydrated up to 80%, and can recover more than 90% of water upon 1 h of rehydration. Elasticity determined by stress/strain tests was higher than human skin and was sufficiently resistant for potential clinical manipulation. Footage of fibroblasts in in vitro cultures demonstrated the biocompatibility of the constructs over 28 days. Finally, scaffolds loaded with α-tocopherol showed dose-dependent antioxidant activity (up to 80% in less than 1 h), while antimicrobial action versus multi-drug resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphilococcus aureus was assessed by inhibition rings obtained through the Kirby–Bauer technique. The proposed hydrogels can be useful as dressings for the treatment of chronically infected wounds.
Highlights
Skin is the most extended organ of the human body, and it mainly works as a physical and selective barrier, protecting the body from the external environment and from mechanical traumas and microbial/viral infections in particular
This work aimed to set up a scaffold formulation procedure through 3D printing in order to obtain three-dimensionally structured chitosan hydrogels loaded with the antioxidant VitE at defined dosages
Liquid formulations based on chitosan were already successfully employed for the production of 3D hydrogels that resulted in hydrogels that are potentially employable for skin tissue regeneration purposes from in vitro and in vivo tests [27]
Summary
Skin is the most extended organ of the human body, and it mainly works as a physical and selective barrier, protecting the body from the external environment and from mechanical traumas and microbial/viral infections in particular. Numerous pathological conditions associated with aging can directly or indirectly affect the skin, such as diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, venous insufficiency, and prolonged decubitus, often leading to the development of lesions which can deeply alter the functions of the skin [1,2,3]. Repair mechanisms are deeply impaired by the scarce peripherical blood flow, by the damages to the micro vessels irrorating the deepest skin layers of the extremities, and by the low diffusion rate of nutrients through the tissue [6].
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