Abstract
Hydrogel wound dressings are highly effective in the therapy of wounds. Yet, most of them do not contain any active ingredient that could accelerate healing. The aim of this study was to prepare hydrophilic active dressings loaded with an anti-inflammatory compound - trans-resveratrol (RSV) of hydrophobic properties. A special attention was paid to select such a technological strategy that could both reduce the risk of irritation at the application site and ensure the homogeneity of the final hydrogel. RSV dissolved in Labrasol was combined with an aqueous sol of poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA), containing propylene glycol (PG) as a plasticizer. This sol was transformed into a gel under six consecutive cycles of freezing (-80 °C) and thawing (RT). White, uniform and elastic membranes were successfully produced. Their critical features, namely microstructure, mechanical properties, water uptake and RSV release were studied using SEM, DSC, MRI, texture analyser and Franz-diffusion cells. The cryogels made of 8 % of PVA showed optimal tensile strength (0.22 MPa) and elasticity (0.082 MPa). The application of MRI enabled to elucidate mass transport related phenomena in this complex system at the molecular (detection of PG, confinement effects related to pore size) as well as at the macro level (swelling). The controlled release of RSV from membranes was observed for 48 h with mean dissolution time of 18 h and dissolution efficiency of 35 %. All in all, these cryogels could be considered as a promising new active wound dressings.
Highlights
Under physiological conditions, the wound healing process is due to four overlapping phases, namely, hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling [1]
We successfully developed and thoroughly characterized hydrophilic poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA) cryogel membranes loaded with a poorly soluble active ingredient of antiinflammatory properties—RSV
Bearing in mind that these hydrogel membranes would be applied in the wound bed, a freeze-thawing technique was used to transform PVA sol into gel
Summary
The wound healing process is due to four overlapping phases, namely, hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling [1]. The most important advantages of these dressings are nonadherence, tissue-like water content, soft, rubbery consistency, and flexibility that ensure their high tolerance in the wound area [3, 5]. After application, they create a beneficial skin microclimate by maintaining a proper moisture balance in the wound bed, which promotes autolytic debridement and gives both pleasant cooling and analgesic effect [3, 5]
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