Formulation, Physical Characterization and Wound Healing Activity Evaluation of Carboxymethyl Chitosan-Curcumin Carbomer-Based Hydrogel

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different concentration of carboxymethyl chitosan and curcumin on physical characteristics and wound healing activity of carboxymethyl chitosan-curcumin hydrogel. Hydrogels were prepared using carbomer as a gelling agent and TEA was added to neutralize the carbomer hydrogel in order to make it swell. The obtained hydrogels were evaluated for its physical characterization such as organoleptic, viscosity, spreadability, drying time, pH, and wound healing activity on the burned wound in Wistar rats. The results showed that higher concentration of carboxymethyl chitosan significantly reduces viscosity and pH while its spreadability and drying time are significantly increased. Curcumin only affected two out of five physical characteristics: organoleptic and pH. Higher concentration of curcumin reduces its pH but statistical analysis showed no interaction between carboxymethyl chitosan and curcumin. The wound healing activity in Wistar rats with 2nd degree burn wound model indicates that carboxymethyl chitosan-curcumin hydrogel can significantly improve wound healing activity in rats compared to control group. Higher concentration of carboxymethyl chitosan can affect the physical characteristics of carboxymethyl chitosan-curcumin hydrogel i.e. a decrease in viscosity and pH, as well as an increase in spreadability and drying time. On the other hand, higher concentration of curcumin only affected the pH of the preparation. In the wound healing activity test, macroscopic observation showed that the combination of carboxymethyl chitosan-curcumin significantly increased the wound healing activity of 2nd degree burn in Wistar rats. However, the use of this hydrogel preparation statistically did not give significant improvement in wound healing process when compared with G1, G2, G3, G4, and positive control. Based on histopathology test results, it can be concluded that after 14 days of treatment the value of collagen deposition and PMN between groups 1, 2, 3, 4, and positive control and intergroup replication (1, 2, 3, 4, and positive controls) are in uniformity which indicates that the wound has undergone healing process. In addition, the four groups possess better results than negative controls which didn’t receive any treatment.