A novel curcumin-loaded composite dressing facilitates wound healing due to its natural antioxidant effect.

PURPOSE: To prepare a novel wound dressing to facilitate cutaneous wound healing.

METHODS

Curcumin (Cur) was added to the ring-shaped β-cyclodextrin (CD) to form a β-CD-Cur inclusion complex (CD-Cur). CD-Cur was then integrated into a composite chitosan-alginate (CA) mix. Finally, CA-CD-Cur was generated with a freeze-drying technique. Water-uptake capacity, degradation rate, and drug-release kinetics of the newly formed dressing were investigated in vitro. In animal studies, cutaneous wounds in rats were created, treated with CA-CD-Cur, then compared to CA-Cur, CA, and gauze.

RESULTS

CA-CD-Cur-treated wounds showed accelerated closure rates, improved histopathological results, and lower SOD, lipid peroxidation, pI3K, and pAktkt levels than other groups. On the contrary, catalase, IκBα, and TGFβ1 levels were higher than others.

CONCLUSION

CA-CD-Cur may facilitate cutaneous wound dressing that facilitate wound healing.