Blending Ethnomedicine with Modern Technology-From Conventional to Tailored Products: Modulating Biopharmaceutical Properties of Berberis Extract by Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Wound Healing.

Drug-delivery systems employing phytopharmaceuticals based on the leads in traditional knowledge offers not only an alternative but quicker and more economic strategy for drug development. Nanophytopharmaceuticals promise remarkable opportunities with the ability to overcome challenges associated with herbal medicines, such as low solubility and bioavailability, poor target specificity, and shelf life. Berberis extracts documented as Ropana (wound healer) in Sushruta Samhita are a popular traditional remedy that is amiss in the modern system of medicine as it exhibits very poor biopharmaceutical properties. Poor solubility and bioavailability necessitate the administration of high doses to achieve the desired therapeutic effects. Exploiting the diversified type of compounds with pleiotropic properties present in Berberis, the biopharmaceutical properties were engineered using an optimized freeze-dried extract and developed solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) as an effective drug-delivery system. An industrially viable and environment-friendly hot high-pressure homogenization technique led to a stable formulation with an average particle size of 178.4 nm, as well as a 7-fold increase in loading and a significant entrapment of 91 ± 1.25%. The pharmacodynamic studies of developed nanosystems in excision-wound models showed faster and complete healing of wounds with no scars.

Self-Gelling Solid Lipid Nanoparticle Hydrogel Containing Simvastatin as Suitable Wound Dressing: An Investigative Study.

Hydrogels, an advanced interactive system, is finding use as wound dressings, however, they exhibit restricted mechanical properties, macroscopic nature, and may not manage high exudate wounds or incorporate lipophilic actives. In this study, we developed a self-gelling solid lipid nanoparticle (SLNs) dressing to incorporate simvastatin (SIM), a lipophilic, potential wound-healing agent, clinically limited due to poor solubility (0.03 mg/mL) and absorption. The study explores unconventional and novel application of SIM. The idea was to incorporate a significant amount of SIM in a soluble form and release it slowly over a prolonged time. Further, a suitable polymeric surfactant was selected that assigned a self-gelling property to SLNs (SLN-hydrogel) so as to be used as a novel wound dressing. SLNs assign porosity, elasticity, and occlusivity to the dressing to keep the wound area moist. It will also provide better tolerance and sensory properties to the hydrogel. SIM loaded SLN-hydrogel was prepared employing an industry amenable high-pressure homogenization technique. The unique hydrogel dressing was characterized for particle size, zeta potential, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, rheology, and texture. Significant loading of SIM (10% w/w) was achieved in spherical nanoparticule hydrogel (0.3 nm (nanoparticles) to 2 µm (gelled-matrix)) that exhibited good spreadability and mechanical properties and slow release up to 72 h. SLN-hydrogel was safe as per the organization for economic co-operation and development (OECD-404) guidelines, with no signs of irritation. Complete healing of excision wound observed in rats within 11 days was 10 times better than marketed povidone-iodine product. The presented work is novel both in terms of classifying a per se SLN-hydrogel and employing SIM. Further, it was established to be a safe, effective, and industry amenable invention.

Systematic Development and Characterization of Novel, High Drug-Loaded, Photostable, Curcumin Solid Lipid Nanoparticle Hydrogel for Wound Healing.

The study aims to develop high drug-loaded (about 15% lipid matrix) curcumin solid lipid nanoparticles (CSLNs) for wound healing. CSLNs prepared by hot, high-pressure homogenization, without using organic solvents, were optimized using the Taguchi design followed by the central composite design. The optimized CSLNs exhibited a high assay/drug content (0.6% w/w), solubility (6 × 105 times), and EE (75%) with a particle size < 200 nm (PDI-0.143). The CSLNs were safe (in vitro and in vivo), photostable, autoclavable, stable up to one year at 30 °C and under refrigeration and exhibited a controlled release (zero-order; 5 days). XRD, FTIR, and DSC confirmed solubilization and entrapment of the curcumin within the SLNs. TEM and FESEM revealed a smooth and spherical shape. The CSLNs showed a significant antimicrobial effect (MIC of 64 µg/mL for planktonic cells; 512 µg/mL for biofilm formation; and 2 mg/mL for mature biofilm) against Staphylococcus aureus 9144, while free curcumin dispersion did not exhibit any effect. This is the first report on the disruption of mature biofilms by curcumin solid lipid nanoparticles (CSLNs). The cell proliferation potential of CSLNs was also evaluated in vitro while the wound healing potential of CSLNs (incorporated in a hydrogel) was assessed in vivo. In (i) nitrogen mustard gas and (ii) a full-thickness excision wound model, CSLNs exhibited (a) significantly faster wound closure, (b) histologically and immunohistochemically better healing, (c) lower oxidative stress (LPO) and (d) inflammation (TNFα), and (e) increased angiogenesis (VEGF) and antioxidant enzymes, i.e., catalase and GSH levels. CSLNs thus offer a promising modern wound therapy especially for infected wounds, considering their effects in mature biofilm disruption.

Material couture for wound healing and regeneration: an overview.

Wound healing is a complex regenerative process of great importance in clinical medicine, controlled by temporal interactions between cells, extracellular matrix components and signalling molecules. Localised delivery of therapeutic active agents viz. antimicrobials, soothing minerals and/or vitamins and growth factors at the site of injury/trauma/wound are expected to be more effective and will always manifest milder toxic concerns than those observed upon systemic administration of these agents. Since ancient times, search is on for suitable materials which may restore or reproduce a favourable and a natural milieu required for skin regeneration, so as to prevent infections, and make the process fast and less painful. The journey started with the use of natural materials with a simple function of covering or dressing the wounds to more advanced materials of present times, which are designed for specific and extraordinary functions. Natural and modified or synthetic polymers; alone or in combination are commonly used as dressing (couture) materials for wound healing. This article offers a review of materials that have been used to design and develop wound dressings.

Development and evaluation of curcumin-loaded elastic vesicles as an effective topical anti-inflammatory formulation.

Curcumin has diverse biological activities including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, its clinical use for topical application is limited due to its poor aqueous solubility and thus, minimal cutaneous bioavailability. Elastic vesicles (EVs) of curcumin were prepared to improve its cutaneous bioavailability and to use it for topical anti-inflammatory effect. Ex vivo skin permeation and retention studies were performed to check if incorporation of curcumin into EVs could improve its permeation into and retention in the skin. Evaluation of acute and chronic anti-inflammatory effect was done using xylene-induced acute ear edema in mice and cotton pellet-induced chronic inflammation in rats, respectively. A significant improvement in flux (nine times) across murine skin was observed when aqueous dispersion of curcumin (flux - 0.46 ± 0.02 µg/h/cm(2)) was compared with curcumin-loaded EVs (flux - 4.14 ± 0.04 µg/h/cm(2)). Incorporation of these curcumin-loaded EVs into a hydrophilic ointment base resulted in higher skin retention (51.66%) in contrast to free curcumin ointment (1.64%) and a marketed formulation (VICCO® turmeric skin cream). The developed ointment showed an effect similar (p < 0.05) to the marketed diclofenac sodium ointment (Omni-gel®) in suppression of acute inflammation in mouse; a significant inhibition (28.8% versus 3.91% for free curcumin) of cotton pellet-induced chronic inflammation was also observed. Thus, curcumin-loaded EVs incorporated in hydrophilic ointment is a promising topical anti-inflammatory formulation.