Nanostructured lipid carriers containing chitosan or sodium alginate for co-encapsulation of antioxidants and an antimicrobial agent for potential application in wound healing

In this study, bioadhesive nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) were developed for the co-encapsulation of compounds with antioxidant (α-tocopherol and quercetin) and antimicrobial (tea tree oil) activity for management of wounds. The NLC was produced with shea butter and argan oil, and modified with sodium alginate or chitosan to confer bioadhesive properties. Spherical nanoparticles of ~307-330 nm and zeta potential varying from -21.2 to +11.8 mV were obtained. Thermal analysis demonstrated that the lipid matrix reduced tea tree oil thermal loss (~1.8-fold). Regardless of the type of polysaccharide employed, the NLCs promoted cutaneous localization of antioxidants in damaged (subjected to incision) skin, with a ~74 to 180-fold higher delivery into the skin compared to percutaneous delivery. This result is consistent with the similar bioadhesive properties of chitosan and sodium alginate-modified NLC. Nanoencapsulation of tea tree oil did not preclude its antimicrobial effects against susceptible and resistant strains of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, while co-encapsulation of antioxidants increased the NLC-induced fibroblasts migration, supporting their potential usefulness for management of wounds.PMID:33930450 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.04.168

Source: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules - April 30, 2021 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Sandra Costa-Fernandez Jenyffer K R Mattos Gaby S Scheunemann Giovanna C Salata Marlus Chorilli Il-Sei Watanabe Gabriel L B de Araujo Marinilce F Santos Kelly Ishida Luciana B Lopes Source Type: research