Matricaria chamomilla essential oil-loaded hybrid electrospun nanofibers based on polycaprolactone/sulfonated chitosan/ZIF-8 nanoparticles for wound healing acceleration.

Recently, developing antibacterial wound dressings based on biomaterials display good biocompatibility and the potential to accelerate wound healing. For this aim, we prepared eco-friendly and biodegradable nanofibers (NFs) based on N-(3-sulfopropyl)chitosan/ poly (ε-caprolactone) incorporated by zeolite imidazolate framework-8 nanoparticles (ZIF-8 NPs) and chamomile essential oil (MCEO) via the electrospinning technique for their efficacy as wound dressing scaffolds. Fabricated NFs were characterized and studied for their structural, morphological, mechanical, hydrophilic, and thermal stability properties. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that adding the ZIF-8 NPs/ MCEO, very slightly influenced the average diameter of NFs (PCL/SPCS (90:10) with 90 ± 32 nm). The developed uniform MCEO-loaded ZIF-8/PCL/SPCS NFs displayed better cytocompatibility, proliferation, and physicochemical properties (e.g. thermal stability and mechanical properties) than neat NFs. The results of cytocompatibility, DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining study, and SEM micrographs demonstrated that formulated NFs had promising adhesion and proliferation against normal human foreskin fibroblasts-2 (HFF-2 cell line). The prepared NFs revealed excellent antibacterial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with inhibition of 32.3 mm and 31.2 mm, respectively. Accordingly, the newly developed antibacterial NFs hold great potential as effective biomaterials for use as an active platform in wound healing applications.

Gentamicin-loaded chitosan/folic acid-based carbon quantum dots nanocomposite hydrogel films as potential antimicrobial wound dressing.

BACKGROUND: To provide effective healing in the wound, various carbohydrate polymers are commonly utilized that are highly potent platforms as wound dressing films. In this work, novel antibacterial flexible polymeric hydrogel films were designed via crosslinking polymeric chitosan (CS) with folic acid-based carbon quantum dots (CQDs). To end this, folic acid as a bio-precursor is used to synthesize CQDs through the hydrothermal technique. The synthesized CQDs as a crosslinking agent was performed at different concentrations to construct nanocomposite hydrogel films via the casting technique. Also, gentamicin (GM), L-Arginine and glycerol were supplemented in the formulation of nanocomposite since their antibiotic, bioactivity and plasticizing ability, respectively. RESULTS: The successful construction of films were verified with different methods (FT-IR, UV-Vis, PL, SEM, and AFM analyses). The GM release profile displayed a controlled release manner over 48 h with a low initial burst release in the simulated wound media (PBS, pH 7.4). Antibacterial and in vitro cytotoxicity results showed a significant activity toward different gram-positive and negative bacterial strains (about 2.5 ± 0.1 cm inhibition zones) and a desired cytocompatibility against Human skin fibroblast (HFF-1) cells (over 80% cell viability), respectively. CONCLUSION: The obtained results recommend CQDs-crosslinked CS (CS/CQD) nanocomposite as a potent antimicrobial wound dressing.

Reinforcement of hydrogel scaffold using oxidized-guar gum incorporated with curcumin-loaded zein nanoparticles to improve biological performance.

Newly, the use of biocompatible injectable hydrogel with appropriate features for application in the tissue engineering area as a perfect wound dressing has been more attracted. For this purpose, the curcumin loaded Zein nanoparticles/aldehyde-modified guar gum/silk fibroin (Cur-NPs/OGG/SF) hydrogel networks were successfully developed to increase the Cur bioavailability during the wound treatment procedure. Fabricated hydrogels were assessed for their morphological, thermal stability, degradation, and mechanical features. By varying the OGG/SF weight ratios, the physicochemical features of hydrogels without or with Cur-loaded Zein NPs were studied. The results showed that with enhancing the OGG content, the degradation behavior of hydrogels were improved. Besides, Cur-NPs/OGG/SF hydrogels increased the cell proliferation without any cytotoxic effect on mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH-3T3) cells. The Cur-NPs/OGG/SF hydrogel exposed inhibition activity against Bacillus (15.26 ± 1.09 mm) and E. coli (11.54± 1.36 mm) bacteria. These achieved results recommended that the novel developed hydrogel could be suitable for wound healing application.

Electrospun tetracycline hydrochloride loaded zein/gum tragacanth/poly lactic acid nanofibers for biomedical application.

Newly, fabrication of scaffolds along with the therapeutic agent of tetracycline hydrochloride for application in wound healing and anti-inflammatory effect could interest consideration. In this work, we developed a novel drug delivery mat composed of gum tragacanth (GT), zein, poly lactic acid (PLA) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) (zein/GT/PLA/TCH) in different blending ratios of zein/GT. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of mats showed interconnected pores with beadles nanofibers. The results of SEM showed that by increasing the ratio of zein/GT, the average diameter of nanofibers increased from 253.22 ± 15.36 to 547.78 ± 56.48 nm for the ratios of 80:20 and 90:10, respectively. Moreover, the successful loading of TCH and was approved by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). By addition of TCH and increasing the GT content to the developed nanofibrous mats, the tensile strength, swelling degree and porosity of zein/GT/PLA/TCH nanofibers increased. Furthermore, this scaffold also displayed appropriate antibacterial properties and suitable degradability for skin tissue engineering. The results of cytocompatibility and SEM micrographs proved that zein/GT/PLA/TCH scaffold had promising proliferation and adhesion against NIH-3 T3 fibroblast cell.

An injectable chitosan-based hydrogel scaffold containing gold nanoparticles for tissue engineering applications.

Scaffolds of tissue engineering for particular sites, for example, nerve, cardiac, and bone tissues, require a comprehensive design of 3D biomaterials that covers all aspects of physical structures and chemical composition, needed for desired cell regeneration. Injectable and in situ forming hydrogel scaffolds, possessing highly hydrated and interconnected structures, have demonstrated several advantages for use in regenerative medicine. In this study, we have developed a new design of injectable hydrogels based on collagen, aldehyde modified-nanocrystalline cellulose, and chitosan loaded with gold nanoparticles (Collagen/ADH-CNCs/CS-Au). The results of experiments exposed that the various molar ratios of Collagen/CNCs and the presence of CS-Au content have a significant effect on the microscopic morphology, equilibrium swelling, in vitro degradation, and mechanical properties of the hydrogels. The cytotoxicity analysis was performed for the NIH 3T3 cell line, which displays the effectiveness and non-toxicity of the developed hydrogels towards the destruction of the cells. The achieved results suggested that the prepared hydrogel network has great potential as a new biomaterial for tissue engineering applications.

Aloe vera-loaded nanofibrous scaffold based on Zein/Polycaprolactone/Collagen for wound healing.

Recently, the use of nanofibers (NFs) for tissue engineering has been more developed. For this purpose, we fabricated the NFs (Zein/Polycaprolactone/Collagen) (Zein/PCL/Collagen) incorporated by zinc oxide NPs (ZnO NPs) and Aloe-vera (NFs/ZnO/Alv) using the electrospinning method. Prepared NFs were studied for their morphological, mechanical, thermal stability, and hydrophilic properties. Among the developed NFs, those loaded by ZnO (1 wt%) and Alv (8 wt%) and with Zein/PCL (70:30) displayed the suitable thermal stability and mechanical properties. The water contact angle of NFs improved by decreasing the Zein/PCL blending ratio. Cell culture results showed that the NFs had good cytocompatibility. The cell adhesion potential of this mats were certified with studying by fibroblast cells for various time intervals (24 h and 72 h). The NFs/ZnO/Alv sample revealed inhibition activity against S. aureus (19.23 ± 1.35 mm) and E. coli (15.38 ± 1.12 mm) bacteria. Thus, these results offered that the prepared NFs can be promised as an active scaffold for wound healing uses.

Chemical gelling of hydrogels-based biological macromolecules for tissue engineering: Photo- and enzymatic-crosslinking methods.

Newly, injectable hydrogels have been renowned as promising biomaterials and appropriate candidates for tissue engineering which can be applied for the development of 3-dimensional cell culture models. Hydrogels have in situ formability that allows an actual and homogeneous drugs/cells encapsulation, and suitable for in vivo surgical operation in a minimally invasive way, causing less discomfort for patients. A wide and varied range of methods has been applied to design hydrogels-based biological macromolecules via chemical gelling techniques, such as photo-polymerization, and enzyme-catalyzed reactions due to the biocompatibility and feasible processing of in situ formation of hydrogels and the easy implantation through in situ injection of hydrogels-based biological macromolecules. This present review covers the current advances in the development of injectable hydrogels through enzymatically and photo-crosslinking procedures for tissue engineering. The characteristics and applications of natural and synthetic base materials used in hydrogel generation are also reviewed with an outline on biomedical considerations.

Microwave-assisted and one-step synthesis of PEG passivated fluorescent carbon dots from gelatin as an efficient nanocarrier for methotrexate delivery.

A green and simple process for preparing the polyethylene glycol passivated fluorescent carbon dots (CDs-PEG) have been studied by a microwave pyrolysis method, using gelatin and PEG as starting materials. This method is very effective for development of carbon-based quantum dots from gelatin with high quantum yield (QY). The synthesized CDs-PEG were found to emit blue photoluminescence (PL) with a maximum QY of 34%. At the following research, we investigated the effect of the presence of PEG on PL intensity, and the result showed that CDs-PEG becomes stronger PL properties than pure CDs from gelatin. The synthesized CDs-PEG were characterized by FTIR, TEM, UV-vis, PL, zeta potential and XRD analyses. The anticancer performance of developed CDs-PEG was evaluated by in vitro tests such as MTT assay and fluorescence microscopy analyses. The examination of CDs-PEG as an anti-cancer drug nanocarrier for methotrexate (MTX) illustrated a better antitumor efficacy than free MTX due to its enhanced nuclear delivery in vitro, which resulting in highly effective tumour growth inhibition and improving targeted cancer therapy in clinical medicine.

Incorporating Cu-based metal-organic framework/drug nanohybrids into gelatin microsphere for ibuprofen oral delivery.

In compression with the intravenous administration, oral delivery most commonly used due to the non-invasive nature and the fact that avoids patient pain and discomfort. By consideration this aim, ibuprofen as a model drug was loaded into two-dimensional tunnels and empty face-centered cubic cubes of Cu-MOF porous through immersing of Cu-MOF in the drug solution. Cu-Based metal-organic framework/ibuprofen nanohybrid (Cu-MOF/IBU) protected with pH-sensitive biopolymeric gelatin microsphere. From the obtained results, it seems that the prepared gelatin microsphere could be a proposed capsule for the drug in the gastrointestinal tract conditions. The gelatin encapsulated Cu-MOF/IBU microsphere (Cu-MOF/IBU@GM) were characterized using FT-IR, XRD, UV-Vis and SEM analysis. For demonstrating the efficiency of the novel microsphere as a controlled drug delivery system, in-vitro the drug delivery tests were carried out in simulating the gastrointestinal tract conditions. pH point of zero charges (pHpzc) was measured for determination of surficial charge of the carrier. The drug release tests showed that the Cu-MOF/IBU@GM has a better protection against stomach pH and enhanced the stability of drug dosing for a longer time with controlled releases in the gastrointestinal tract conditions. The MTT test demonstrated that the Cu-MOF/IBU@GM has low toxicity against Caco-2 cells. According to the obtained results, the prepared Cu-MOF/IBU@GM could potentially be used as an oral drug delivery system.