Development of novel cefoperazone-loaded glycerosomes for enhanced wound healing and antibacterial efficacy: In vitro and in vivo assessments.

Bacterial burn wound infections can disrupt the natural wound-healing process, leading to life-threatening diseases. This study aimed to investigate the use of glycerosomes as a novel system for the topical delivery of cefoperazone to promote its burn wound healing action. Cefoperazone-loaded glycerosomes (CEFO-GLY) were optimized using a 23 full-factorial design and prepared via the thin film hydration method. The optimized CEFO-GLY formulation was evaluated for its antibacterial activity using a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assessment. The wound healing efficacy of the optimized CEFO-GLY was evaluated in vitro using the scratch wound assay and in vivo using the burn wound model in mice. The optimized CEFO-GLY exhibited a particle size of 94.8 ± 0.5 nm, a zeta potential of -26.8 ± 3.7 mV, and an entrapment efficiency of 74.0 ± 3.5 %. The MIC results of CEFO-GLY proved enhanced antibacterial activity compared to free cefoperazone. The in vitro scratch wound assay of the CEFO-GLY demonstrated accelerated wound healing. Moreover, the mice treated with the optimized CEFO-GLY showed a significantly reduced wound area by 2-fold and improved the histopathological marker of healing (Collagen) by 1.6-fold compared to the free drug. Thus, the findings suggest that novel CEFO-GLY has significant potential in burn wound therapy.