Development of Baicalin Loaded Soluplus Based Hydrogel Patch for Wound Dressing.

OBJECTIVE

To develop and optimize a baicalin-loaded soluplus-based hydrogel patch for enhanced wound healing applications.

METHODS

Baicalin-loaded hydrogel patches were formulated using freeze-thaw method and optimized through 3 × 2 factorial design with varying concentrations of PVA (1.0-2.0 g) and Soluplus (0.33-0.66 g). The patches were characterized for physicochemical properties, ex vivo permeation, stability, skin irritation potential, and wound healing efficacy in rat models.

RESULTS

Solubility studies revealed poor aqueous solubility of baicalin (0.052 mg/ml) while FTIR confirmed drug-excipient compatibility. The optimized formulation BF6 (PVA 2.0 g, Soluplus 0.495 g) demonstrated superior folding endurance (378 ± 16.52), drug content (90.23 ± 1.32%), and swelling index (168.42 ± 5.93%). Ex vivo permeation studies showed enhanced baicalin delivery (93.24 ± 3.94% at 12 h) with a flux of 5.73 ± 0.28 mg/cm2/h. Accelerated stability studies confirmed minimal degradation (2.86% drug content reduction) after 3 months. The formulation exhibited zero Draize score in skin irritation tests and significantly accelerated wound healing (92.13 ± 4.82% contraction by day 9) compared to standard treatment (83.45 ± 4.65%) and control (68.27 ± 4.23%).

CONCLUSION

The optimized baicalin-loaded soluplus-based hydrogel patch offers a promising approach for chronic wound management with enhanced healing rates, excellent stability, and safety profile. This first-in-class baicalin-Soluplus combination addresses the challenges of baicalin's poor solubility through systematic factorial optimization. while providing controlled drug delivery and optimal wound microenvironment, presenting significant potential for clinical translation in advanced wound care therapy. Future mechanistic studies are warranted to elucidate molecular healing pathways.