Fabrication and evaluation of chitosan/gelatin/PVA hydrogel incorporating honey for wound healing applications: An in vitro, in vivo study.

In this study, physically cross-linked hydrogels were developed by freezing-thawing method while different concentrations of honey were included into the hydrogels for accelerated wound healing. The hydrogel was composed of chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and gelatin with the ratio of 2:1:1 (v/v), respectively. Further, the effect of honey concentrations on antibacterial properties, and cell behavior was investigated. In vivo studies, including wound healing mechanism using rat model and histological analysis of section tissue samples were performed. The results illustrated that the incorporation of honey in hydrogels increased the ultimate strain of hydrogels approximately two times, while reduced the ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus of hydrogels. Moreover, the antibacterial activities of samples were increased by increasing the concentration of honey. Regarding MTT assay, as the concentration of honey increased, the cell viability of hydrogels was enhanced until an optimal amount of honey. Further, the integration of honey into the hydrogel matrix results in the maintenance of a well-structured layer of epidermis containing mature collagen and accelerates the rate of wound healing. The 3D Chitosan/PVA/Gelatin hydrogel containing honey with appropriate mechanical, antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility could be a promising approach for wound healing.

Design and fabrication of conductive nanofibrous scaffolds for neural tissue engineering: Process modeling via response surface methodology.

Peripheral nervous system in contrary to central one has the potential for regeneration, but its regrowth requires proper environmental conditions and supporting growth factors. The aim of this study is to design and fabricate a conductive polyaniline/graphene nanoparticles incorporated gelatin nanofibrous scaffolds suitable for peripheral nervous system regeneration. The scaffolds were fabricated with electrospinning and the fabrication process was designed with Design-Expert software via response surface methodology. The effect of process parameters including applied voltage (kV), syringe pump flow rate (cm3/h), and PAG concentration (wt%), on the scaffold conductivity, nanofibers diameter, and cell viability were investigated. The obtained results showed that the scaffold conductivity and cell viability are affected by polyaniline/graphene concentration while nanofiber diameter is more affected by the applied voltage and syringe pump flow rate. Optimum scaffold with maximum conductivity (0.031 ± 0.0013 S/cm) and cell compatibility and suitable diameter were electrospun according to the software introduced values for the process parameters (voltage of 13 kV, flow rate of 0.1 cm3/h, and PAG wt.% of 1.3) and its morphology, cell compatibility, and biodegradability were further investigated, which showed its potential for applying in peripheral nervous system injury regeneration.