Fabrication and in vitro characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles and hyaluronic acid-containing carboxymethylcellulose gel for wound healing application

Abstract

Chronic wounds, such as burns and diabetic ulcers, are complex wounds sustained by the skin that require life-long rehabilitation and have the potential to deteriorate and get infected. The number of patients with this ailment has been steadily increasing. This illness demands the use of new dressings with the best capabilities for managing wound healing. This study created an gel with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hyaluronic acid (HA), and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). According to the findings, the manufacturing technique with a 1:4 ratio of HA and CMC gel had the best viscosity. Additionally, varying concentrations of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were added to the formula. Variations included 0.05, 0.125, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 10% by weight. In order to find the ideal dose and formulation, physical properties, an anti-bacterial test, and a cell migration assay were carried out. The samples with concentration of 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 and 10% w/v showed ability to kill gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Wound healing experiments showed that cells proliferated for HA/CMC/ZnO gel with a weight-to-volume ratio of 0.05% and 1.0% w/v. In conclusion, according to all (physical and biological) characterization, the HA/CMC/ZnO gel with a weight-to-volume ratio of 1.0% w/v was found to have a considerable standard for wound-healing materials, demonstrating a promising effect against bacteria.

Keywords:

• Gel
• wound healing
• hyaluronic acid
• ZnO nanoparticles
• carboxymethylcellulose

Disclosure statement of competing interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Program Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC), Thailand and partially supported in-kind by Novatec Healthcare Company Limited, Thailand. The first author was partially supported (transportation cost and small scale lab equipment) by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Graduate Studies of Mahidol University Alumni Association.