The role of topically applied l-ascorbic acid in ex-vivo examination of burn-injured human skin.

ABSTRACT

Wound treatment and healing is complex and is comprised of an elaborate set of processes including cellular, spectroscopic and biochemical ones as well as the "reaction" of local tissue to thermal injury. Vitamin C as l-ascorbic acid (LA) prevents injurious effects of oxidants because it reduces reactive oxygen species to stable molecules, it becomes oxidized to the short-lived ascorbyl radical. As a result, antioxidant treatment may contribute to minimizing injury in burn patients. The aim of this study is to assess changes in molecular structure of collagen extracted from human epidermis burn wound scab during incubation of the epidermis in l-ascorbic acid solution. The study will be performed using FTIR and FT Raman spectroscopies. During this research it was observed that the intensity of Raman peaks increased where healing was being modified by LA. The intensity of the amide III band at 1247cm-1 relative to the intensity at 1326cm-1 was used to test tissue repair degree at the incision site. FTIR spectra were recorded from frozen specimens of serum modified by LA; an analysis of shifts in the amide I band position was conducted. The appearance of a new band for frozen samples modified by LA was observed around 1149-1220cm-1. The above conclusions confirmed the creation of hydrogen bonds between NH stretch and CO. Samples being incubated in solutions of l-ascorbic acid demonstrated the absence of electrophoretic bands of albumin. Alterations in the surface of the skin incubated in l-ascorbic acid were investigated with the use of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). A decrease in external symptoms of burn injury was noted in the damaged epidermis incubated in l-ascorbic acid.