ABSTRACT
The present research was aimed at synthesising and characterising curcumin-loaded zinc oxide nanoparticle-decorated mesoporous silica as a tissue adhesive (Liquid Stitches). The mesoporous silica nanoparticles facilitate adhesion to tissues through the nanobridging effect. The mesoporous silica was synthesised using a sol–gel methodology, and the drug was incorporated using the wetness impregnation method. The platform that was prepared was characterised using infrared spectroscopy, TEM, DSC, XRD, particle size analysis, BET analysis, a tissue model adhesion test, an antimicrobial assay and a wound model in Sprague Dawley rats. The average particle size was found to be 72.4 nm, while the surface area was found to be 654 m2/g. The tissue model adhesion graphs showed significantly different values for the peak load, work done and deformation at peak load, which reflects a difference between the glue strengths of the mesoporous silica nanoparticles and the Cur-ZnO-MSN and the carrier medium (water). The animal study provided a proof of concept by glueing wounds in less than 1 minute and healing the wound within 5 days.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge AICTE, New Delhi; Department of Microbiology, Sanjivani Arts Commerce and Science College, Kopargaon & Metropolis Lab, Nashik.
Disclosure statement
Authors declare no conflict of interest.
Supplementary material
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