Preparation and Characterization of Wound Healing Composites of Chitosan, Aloe Vera and Calendula Officinalis – a Comparative Study Jitin P
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Original Article Preparation and Characterization of Wound Healing Composites of Chitosan, Aloe Vera and Calendula officinalis – A Comparative Study Jitin P. Menda1, Tarana Reddy1, Deepika.R1, Pandima Devi M*1 and Sastry T.P.2 1Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio-Engineering, SRM University, Kattankulathur, India 2Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai, India ABSTRACT Several natural polymers have application in terms of therapeutic treatment of ailments. Chitosan, Aloe Vera and Calendula officinalis have proven wound healing properties individually. It was theorized that a combination of the biopolymer and the plant extract will show an improvement in wound healing properties. Thus, composite films of Aloe Vera extract in Chitosan and C. officinalis petal extract in Chitosan were prepared and evaluated to ascertain the applicability for wound healing. The chemical composition and mechanical, morphological, and surface characteristics including the antibacterial activity were also evaluated. The optimum conditions for obtaining a maximum percentage of composition were standardized. Their mechanical properties, water absorption characteristics and Address for compatibility were analyzed by tensile tester, FTIR and SEM Correspondence analyses. The composite films containing aloe vera had higher water absorption capacity and antimicrobial activity as compared to those Department of containing C. officinalis petal extract. The films containing C. Biotechnology, School officinalis petal extract showed higher tensile strength as compared to of Bio-Engineering, those containing Aloe Vera. With the above results, it was concluded SRM University, that a composite of 25% Aloe Vera in Chitosan can be used as a Kattankulathur, India wound dressing amongst all the combinations. E-mail: pandimadevi.m Keywords: Chitosan, Aloe vera, Calendula officinalis , composite @ktr.srmuniv.ac.in films, wound healing, FTIR, SEM. INTRODUCTION Wound healing is a dynamic process can change as the wound progresses towards of regenerating dermal and epidermal tissue healing. Wound healing is the body’s natural and the performance requires a dressing that process whereby the body restores the American Journal of Phytomedicine and Clinical Therapeutics www.ajpct.org Devi M et al________________________________________________ ISSN 2321 – 2748 injured part to as near its normal condition polymers when used as drug delivery as possible. Though wound healing takes carriers, they are degraded into biologically place naturally on its own, some of accepted compounds, often through the complications like sepsis, disruption of process of hydrolysis, which leave the tissue and skin layer, extension of infection incorporated medications behind. The major to adjacent and interior organs occur in advantages of natural polymers are good major cases. To prevent extensive loss and cytocompatibility, biodegradable and do not damage to the tissue, skin grafting and require any surgery for removal of biological dressings were developed. The polymers30. ability of the skin to repair itself after a Biological dressings like fibrin glue, minor wound is remarkable, but when the gelatin sheets, chitosan films and collagen damage is severe or occurs in large amounts are popular for acceleration of wound of skin area, proper and immediate coverage healing. These polymers when used in of wound surface with an adequate dressing combination such as fibrin-gelatin, fibrin- is needed to protect the wound and chitosan, show better results, than when accelerate wound healing. Ultimately the used alone1. immediate wound coverage, temporary or The main objective of this work was permanent, is one of the principal goals of to prepare a composite containing both wound management. For this films made wound healing materials and water- with biomaterials are becoming popular due absorbing materials. In this composite, to many advantages1. Some dressings simply chitosan and marigold act as wound healing adsorb exudate or wound fluid and therefore materials and the aloe vera moieties act as are suitable for application to a variety of hydrogels. However, these biocomposites different wound types whereas, other have been proposed to be used as temporary function have limited range of indications. biological dressings on open wound surfaces The major advantages of natural polymers and have to be changed periodically. are good cyto compatibility2. It is also biodegradable in nature and do not require Chitosan any surgery for removal of polymers3. Chitosan is obtained from the Many sophisticated dressing are deacetylation of, chitin a naturally occurring available and are made of materials like and abundantly available (in marine polyurethane, salts of alginic acid and other crustaceans) biocompatible polysaccharide. gelable polysaccharides namely starch and However, applications of chitin are limited carboxymethyl cellulose. They may be used compared to chitosan because chitin is alone or in combination to form products as structurally similar to cellulose but diverse as films, fibrous products, beads, chemically inert. Acetamide group of chitin hydrogels or adhesive gel forming wafers can be converted into amino group to give more commonly called hydrocolloid chitosan, which is carried out by treating dressings4. chitin with concentrated alkali solution. Biomaterials are natural polymers Chitosan is a linear copolymer of d- which are biodegradable. These are used in glucosamine and N-acetyl d-glucosamine in regenerative medicine, implantable a β-(1-4) linkage, in which glucosamine is materials, controlled release carriers or the predominant repeating unit. Chitin and scaffolds for tissue engineering. Cellulose, chitosan represent long chain polymers chitin, chitosan, collagen and gelatin are having molecular mass up to several million widely used natural polymers. Natural Daltons. It is easily processed into powders, AJPCT[2][1][2014]061-076 Devi M et al________________________________________________ ISSN 2321 – 2748 paste, films, 3D-scaffolds, nanofibers, and biodegradability as it can be metabolized by nanoparticles5. certain human enzymes like lysozyme. Chitosan is nontoxic, biocompatible Various biomedical applications like and biodegradable. It is used in drug implantations, injections, or tropical ocular delivery, cell delivery systems, and applications is due to its orthopedics, wound healing, ophthalmology, biocompatibility10,34,35. It was revealed that pharmaceuticals and bone healing46. It for chitosan film was employed as wound enhances the function of polymorphonuclear dressing, as it should be durable, stress cells, macrophages and fibroblastic resistant, flexible, pliable, and elastic, also proliferation of migration. It exhibits easy to apply and remove without incurring antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, any trauma during dressing changes31. The and yeast. It is hypoallergenic, has rapid mechanical properties of the films are blood clotting property, haemostatic and acts critical and should possess reasonable as fat attractor by binding to dietary lipids1. tensile properties, which could bear the Chitosan is known for its haemostatic stresses exerted by different parts of the properties, also possesses other biological body having varying contours. Moreover, activities and effects macro phage function the dressing must be rapidly and uniformly that helps in faster wound healing. The adherent and conform to wound bed biological properties include bacteriostatic topography and contour to prevent air or and fungistatic properties which are useful fluid pocket formation. Good adherence for open wound treatment. Chitosan which reduces pain, facilitates decontamination, contains wound dressings has been found to prevents peripheral channeling into the generate optimal healing environment for wound by bacteria, and promotes bonding to the wound underneath33. tissues32. The dressing must be an absolute Chitosan have been found to possess barrier to bacterial ingress and could prevent beneficial biological properties including egress of wound organisms to the surface of hemostasis6, antimicrobial activity dressing. Furthermore, the dressing is stimulation of healing7, tissue-engineering preferably permeable to water vapor to the scaffolds48, cell culture8 and drug delivery9. extent that a moist exudate under the Chitosan is a novel polymer which dressing is maintained without pooling, but has a wide application in drug delivery excess fluid absorption and evaporation systems, hydrogels and wound dressing. It is leading to desiccation of the wound bed is mostly obtained from chitin, the polymer prevented. In addition, the dressing must be second most abundant in nature next to compatible with body tissues, be nontoxic, cellulose. It stimulates cell proliferation and non-antigenic and non-allergenic11. Chitosan histoarchitectural tissue organization. (3% w/v) in acetic acid solutions was Chitosan helps in wound healing mainly due prepared by stirring overnight using to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, magnetic stirrer. The resulting solution was antimicrobial nature and also its filtered through a sintered glass filter to bacteriostatic and fungistatic properties. The remove the extraneous matter, followed by polycationic nature of chitosan and casting on glass plate and dried in an oven at interaction between the positively charged 60°C for 24 hours. After drying, the chitosan and the negatively charged cell wall transparent film was carefully peeled