Abstract
The aim of this work was to establish whether novel curdlan-based hydrogels enriched with Ca2+ ions may be considered as potential candidates for dressings, for the acceleration of skin wound healing. Firstly, biomaterials were allocated for evaluation of structural and mechanical properties. Subsequently, the ability of hydrogels to absorb simulated wound fluid and water vapor permeability, as well their capacity to release calcium ions, was evaluated. The biocompatibility of biomaterials was assessed using normal human skin fibroblasts. Importantly, the main features of the obtained curdlan-based hydrogels were compared with those of KALTOSTAT® (a commercial calcium sodium alginate wound dressing). The obtained results showed that curdlan-based biomaterials possessed a mesoporous structure (pore diameter ranged from 14–48 nm) and exhibited a good ability to absorb simulated wound fluid (swelling ratio close to 974–1229%). Moreover, in a wet state, they enabled proper water vapor transmission rate (>2000 g/m2/day), thanks to their hydrogel structure. Finally, it was found that biomaterial composed of 11 wt.% of curdlan (Cur_11%) possessed the most desirable biological properties in vitro. It released a beneficial amount of calcium ions to the aqueous environment (approximately 6.12 mM), which significantly enhanced fibroblast viability and proliferation. Taking into account the beneficial properties of Cur_11% biomaterial, it seems justified to subject it to more advanced cell culture experiments in vitro and to in vivo studies in order to determine its precise influence on skin wound healing.
Highlights
Hard-to-heal wounds still constitute a huge problem for current medicine [1,2,3]
The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images (Figure 2a) showed that surfaces of all tested curdlan-based samples were covered with sporadically visible precipitates
They were primarily composed of calcium and chlorine, as proven by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS)
Summary
Hard-to-heal wounds (mainly the chronic ones) still constitute a huge problem for current medicine [1,2,3]. It has been indicated that over 20 million people worldwide suffer from this ailment Such wounds are associated with many inconveniences for patients, such as reduction of their quality of life, physical limitations, numerous hospital stays, and the need for frequent dressing changes. Appropriate dressings for promoting skin wound healing must meet many requirements. Dressings maintaining moisture decrease the risk of scar formation, enhance re-epithelialization, and facilitate cell migration into the wound. They support cell viability and proliferation [5,6,7]. Permeability of gases is another important feature of wound dressings Such biomaterials should allow skin to “breathe”. They must enable the exchange of gases, such as CO2 , O2 , and
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