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. 2022 Sep 15:2022:7669255.
doi: 10.1155/2022/7669255. eCollection 2022.

Novel Curcumin-Encapsulated α-Tocopherol Nanoemulsion System and Its Potential Application for Wound Healing in Diabetic Animals

Muhammad Ali  1 , Nauman Rahim Khan  1   2 , Zakia Subhan  3 , Saima Mehmood  1 , Adnan Amin  4 , Imran Rabbani  2 , Fazal-Ur -Rehman  5 , Hafiz Muhammad Basit  6 , Haroon Khalid Syed  7 , Ikram Ullah Khan  7 , Muhammad Shuaib Khan  8 , Sehrish Khattak  9
Affiliations

Novel Curcumin-Encapsulated α-Tocopherol Nanoemulsion System and Its Potential Application for Wound Healing in Diabetic Animals

Muhammad Ali et al. Biomed Res Int. .

Abstract

Objective: This project was aimed at formulating a novel nanoemulsion system and evaluating it for open incision wound healing in diabetic animals.

Methods: The nanoemulsions were characterized for droplet size and surface charge, drug content, antioxidant and antimicrobial profiling, and wound healing potential in diabetic animals. The skin samples excised were also analyzed for histology, mechanical strength, and vibrational and thermal analysis.

Results: The optimized nanoemulsion (CR-NE-II) exhibited droplet size of26.76 ± 0.9 nm with negative surface charge (-10.86 ± 1.06 mV), was homogenously dispersed with drug content of68.05 ± 1.2%, released almost82.95 ± 2.2%of the drug within first 2 h of experiment with synergistic antioxidant (95 ± 2.1%) and synergistic antimicrobial activity against selected bacterial strains in comparison to blank nanoemulsion, and promoted significantly fast percent reepithelization (96.47%). The histological, vibrational, thermal, and strength analysis of selected skin samples depicted a uniform and even distribution of collagen fibers which translated into significant increase in strength of skin samples in comparison to the control group.

Conclusions: The optimized nanoemulsion system significantly downregulated the oxidative stress, enhanced collagen deposition, and precluded bacterial contamination of wound, thus accelerating the skin tissue regeneration process.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest, and all authors confirm agreement with the final statement.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Droplet size and polydispersity index of CR-NE-1, CR-NE-II, and CR-NE-III.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Zeta potential of CR-NE-I, CR-NE-II, and CR-NE-III.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Antioxidant activity of nanoemulsion with and without incorporating curcumin.
Figure 4
Figure 4
(a) In vitro release of curcumin. (b) Weibull kinetics model for drug release mechanism.
Figure 5
Figure 5
(a) Macroscopic wound images of diabetic rats with untreated and CR-NE-II-treated group. (b) Percent reepithelization. (c) Profile of wound size reduction.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Hematoxylin and eosin staining 14-day diabetic wounded tissues of control group and CR-NE-II-treated group. KF: keratin formation; DK: dekeratinization; EI: epidermal integrity; DR: dermis; HD: hypodermis; DCF: degeneration of connective tissue fibers; DG: dermal gland; BV: blood vessels; HF: hair follicles.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Masson trichome staining of 14-day wounded rat skin of control group and CR-NE-II group. EP: epidermis; SE: subepidermis; DR: dermis; EI: epidermal integrity; DK: dekeratinization; CF: collagen fibers; DG: dermal glands; BV: blood vessels.
Figure 8
Figure 8
ATR-FTIR spectra of dermal layer of the (a) control group and (b) CR-NE-II group.
Figure 9
Figure 9
DSC thermogram of diabetic rat skin: (a) control group and (b) CR-NE-II group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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