In Vitro Wound Healing Assays to Investigate Epidermal Migration

Formulation and optimization of surfactant-modified chitosan nanoparticles loaded with cefdinir for novel topical drug delivery: Elevating wound healing efficacy with enhanced antibacterial properties

Burn wounds remain a significant global health concern, frequently exacerbated by bacterial infections that hinder healing and raise morbidity rates. Cefdinir, a third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic, is used to treat various conditions, but it has limitations such as low water solubility, limited bioavailability, and a short biological half-life. This study aimed to fabricate and optimize novel surfactant-based Cefdinir-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CFD-CSNPs) for enhancing topical CFD delivery and efficacy in burn healing. Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to develop optimized CFD-CSNPs using Design Expert® software, where the independent factors were chitosan concentration, chitosan: sodium tripolyphosphate ratio, pH, and surfactant type. Particle size PS, zeta potential ZP, Polydispersity index PDI, and entrapment efficiency EE% were evaluated as dependent factors. CFD-CSNPs were produced using the ionic gelation method. The optimized formula was determined and then examined for further in vitro and in vivo assessments. The optimized CFD-CSNPs exhibited acceptable PS, PDI, and ZP values. The EE% of CFD from CSNPs reached 57.89 % ± 1.66. TEM analysis revealed spherical morphology. In vitro release studies demonstrated a biphasic release profile up to (75.5 % ± 3.8) over 48 hrs. The optimized CFD-CSNPs showed improved antimicrobial efficacy against the tested microorganisms, exhibiting superior performance for both biofilm prevention and eradication. Enhanced wound healing activity was achieved by the optimized CFD-CSNPs in both in vitro and in vivo studies as confirmed by scratch wound assay and skin burn mice model. The current study advocates the efficacy of the innovative topical application of CFD-CSNPs for wound healing purposes and treatment of wound infections.

Characterization of Serratia marcescens (OK482790)' prodigiosin along with in vitro and in silico validation for its medicinal bioactivities

BACKGROUND

Microbial prodigiosin pigment has been proposed as a promising biomolecule having an antibacterial, immunosuppressive, antimalarial, antineoplastic, and anticancer activities. The good outcome originates from getting natural pigment, which has many medical applications.

RESULTS

In this investigation, prodigiosin (PG) was extracted, characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography, mass spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and tested in various medical applications as an antibacterial, antioxidant, antibiofilm, anticancer, and wound healing agent at different concentrations. Antibacterial activity of PG pigment was shown against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. Enterococcus faecalis was the most severely impacted, with minimum inhibitory value of 3.9 µg/mL. The formed biofilm by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was suppressed by 58-2.50% at prodigiosin doses ranging from 1000 to 31.25 µg/mL, respectively. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) free radical was 74.18 ± 23.77 µg/mL. At 100 µg/mL concentration, OK482790 prodigiosin had no harmful effect on normal skin cells and exhibited mild wound healing properties. Additionally, molecular docking simulations confirmed the prodigiosin's interactions with target proteins, including epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK, PDB ID: 1M17), peptide deformylase from E. faecalis (PDB ID: 2OS1), acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-1, PDB ID: 3K1X), PA14_16140 protein from P. aeruginosa (PDB ID: 8Q8O), and human peroxiredoxin 5 (PDB ID: 1HD2) for explaining the anticancer, antibacterial, wound healing, antibiofilm, and antioxidant activities, respectively. Prodigiosin had favorable binding affinities and putative modes of action across various therapeutic domains.

CONCLUSION

This study pioneers the use of prodigiosin as a natural alternative to synthetic medicine since it fights germs, heals wounds, is antioxidant, and reduces biofilm formation.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

Blends of Silk Waste Protein and Polysaccharides for Enhanced Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration: Mechanisms, Applications, and Future Perspectives

Wound healing is a highly sophisticated process, and therefore, a pioneering approach for designing excellent wound dressings with desirable characteristics vital for maintaining the external wound environment by assessing the inherent conditions of a patient for effective wound healing. Silk fibroin (SF), a versatile biocompatible material, has garnered significant attention for its potential in the field of wound healing and tissue regeneration. When SF is blended with polysaccharides, their synergistic properties can result in a material with enhanced bioactivity and tunable mechanical properties that facilitate the controlled release of therapeutic agents. This review explores how SF interacts with certain polysaccharides such as cellulose, chitosan, alginate, and hyaluronic acid (HA) and also delves into the underlying mechanisms through which these SF-polysaccharide blends induce processes such as cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation for enhanced wound healing and tissue regeneration. This review also emphasizes the potential of the aforementioned blends in diverse wound healing applications in conjunction with other treatment approaches, further addressing the current challenges in this domain and future directions for optimizing SF-polysaccharide blends for clinical research.

Synthesis of nanostructured silica particles for controlled release of ascorbic acid: Microstructure features and In Vitro scratch wound assay

To date, the long term stability of ascorbic acid (AA) under physiological conditions represents a major issue for wound healing and tissue regeneration applications. In this study, ascorbyl phosphate (AP) was loaded into silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) through a simple one-step procedure, in which spherical shaped porous SiNPs were obtained via hydrolysis/condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) in the presence of bicarbonate salt and ammonia. The as-prepared SiNPs were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Fourier Transformer Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR). Incorporation of bicarbonate salt resulted in the formation of spherical SiNPs with an average diameter of 460 ± 89 nm, while further increase of bicarbonate salt led to the formation of silica sheet-like structures. The AP-loaded SiNPs exhibited high loading efficiency from 92.3- 81.5%, according to AP content and sustained release over 3 days. According to cell viability assay, the obtained AP-enriched SiNPS showed no toxicity and supportive effect to the proliferation of human skin fibroblast cells (HSF) at a concentration less than 200 μg/mL. Moreover, it was observed that the wound closure percentage (%) after 24 h was also shown to increase to 74.1 ± 3.1% for 20AP-loaded SiNPs compared to control samples (50.1 ± 1.8%). The obtained results clearly demonstrated that the developed SiNPs formulation exhibits optimal microstructure features to maintain a sustained release of AA at wound bed for the healing of skin tissue, including acute and chronic wounds. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Gamma irradiation mediated production improvement of some myco-fabricated nanoparticles and exploring their wound healing, anti-inflammatory and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory potentials

In the current scenario, scaling up the microbial production of nanoparticles with diverse biological applications is an emerging prospect for NPs' sustainable industry. Thus, this paper was conducted to develop a suitable applicative process for the myco-fabrication of cobalt-ferrite (CoFeNPs), selenium (SeNPs), and zinc oxide (ZnONPs) nanoparticles. A strain improvement program using gamma irradiation mutagenesis was applied to improve the NPs-producing ability of the fungal strains. The achieved yields of CoFeNPs, SeNPs, and ZnONPs were intensified by a 14.47, 7.85, and 22.25-fold increase from the initial yield following gamma irradiation and isolation of stable mutant strains. The myco-fabricated CoFeNPs, SeNPs, and ZnONPs were then exploited to study their wound healing, and anti-inflammatory. In addition, the acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities of the myco-fabricated NPs were evaluated and analyzed by molecular docking. The obtained results confirmed the promising wound healing, anti-inflammatory, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition potentials of the three types of NPs. Additionally, data from analyzing the interaction of NPs with acetylcholinesterase enzyme by molecular docking were in conformation with the experimental data.

A Novel In Vitro Wound Healing Assay Using Free-Standing, Ultra-Thin PDMS Membranes

Advances in polymer science have significantly increased polymer applications in life sciences. We report the use of free-standing, ultra-thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes, called CellDrum, as cell culture substrates for an in vitro wound model. Dermal fibroblast monolayers from 28- and 88-year-old donors were cultured on CellDrums. By using stainless steel balls, circular cell-free areas were created in the cell layer (wounding). Sinusoidal strain of 1 Hz, 5% strain, was applied to membranes for 30 min in 4 sessions. The gap circumference and closure rate of un-stretched samples (controls) and stretched samples were monitored over 4 days to investigate the effects of donor age and mechanical strain on wound closure. A significant decrease in gap circumference and an increase in gap closure rate were observed in trained samples from younger donors and control samples from older donors. In contrast, a significant decrease in gap closure rate and an increase in wound circumference were observed in the trained samples from older donors. Through these results, we propose the model of a cell monolayer on stretchable CellDrums as a practical tool for wound healing research. The combination of biomechanical cell loading in conjunction with analyses such as gene/protein expression seems promising beyond the scope published here.

Comparative Metabolic Study of Tamarindus indica L.'s Various Organs Based on GC/MS Analysis, In Silico and In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory and Wound Healing Activities

The chemical composition of the n-hexane extract of Tamarindus indica's various organs-bark, leaves, seeds, and fruits (TIB, TIL, TIS, TIF)-was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. A total of 113 metabolites were identified, accounting for 93.07, 83.17, 84.05, and 85.08 % of the total identified components in TIB, TIL, TIS, and TIF, respectively. Lupeol was the most predominant component in TIB and TIL, accounting for 23.61 and 22.78%, respectively. However, n-Docosanoic acid (10.49%) and methyl tricosanoate (7.09%) were present in a high percentage in TIS. However, α-terpinyl acetate (7.36%) and α-muurolene (7.52%) were the major components of TIF n-hexane extract. By applying a principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchal cluster analysis (HCA) to GC/MS-based metabolites, a clear differentiation of Tamarindus indica organs was achieved. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in vitro on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. In addition, the wound healing potential for the n-hexane extract of various plant organs was assessed using the in-vitro wound scratch assay using Human Skin Fibroblast cells. The tested extracts showed considerable anti-inflammatory and wound-healing activities. At a concentration of 10 µg/mL, TIL showed the highest nitric oxide (NO) inhibition by 53.97 ± 5.89%. Regarding the wound healing potential, after 24 h, TIB, TIL, TIS, and TIF n-hexane extracts at 10 g/mL reduced the wound width to 1.09 ± 0.04, 1.12 ± 0.18, 1.09 ± 0.28, and 1.41 ± 0.35 mm, respectively, as compared to the control cells (1.37 ± 0.15 mm). These findings showed that the n-hexane extract of T. indica enhanced wound healing by promoting fibroblast migration. Additionally, a docking study was conducted to assess the major identified phytoconstituents' affinity for binding to glycogen synthase kinase 3-β (GSK3-β), matrix metalloproteinases-8 (MMP-8), and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Lupeol showed the most favourable binding affinity to GSK3-β and iNOS, equal to -12.5 and -13.7 Kcal/mol, respectively, while methyl tricosanoate showed the highest binding affinity with MMP-8 equal to -13.1 Kcal/mol. Accordingly, the n-hexane extract of T. indica's various organs can be considered a good candidate for the management of wound healing and inflammatory conditions.

A chemically fueled supramolecular glue for self-healing gels

Chemically fueled supramolecular materials offer unique properties that include spatial and temporal control and even the ability to self-heal. Indeed, a few studies have demonstrated the ability to self-heal, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we designed a peptide that forms a fibrillar network upon chemical fueling. We were surprised that the hydrogel could self-heal despite the lack of dynamics in the fiber assembly and disassembly. We explain this behavior by a mechanism that involves the chemically fueled peptide molecules that cannot self-assemble due to the lack of nucleation sites. When the fibers are perturbed, new nucleation sites form that help the assembly resulting in the healing of the damaged network. Furthermore, we generalized the behavior for other peptides. We refer to this non-assembling, chemically-fueled peptide as a molecular glue. In future work, we aim to explore whether this self-healing mechanism applies to more complex structures, narrowing the gap between biological and synthetic self-assemblies.

Novel zinc-silver nanocages for drug delivery and wound healing: Preparation, characterization and antimicrobial activities

Metal organic framework (MOF)-nanocages (MOF-NCs) in the form of zinc-based nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized as drug carriers for the purpose of wound healing. The prepared NCs (single and bi-metallic with silver-MOF) were based on zinc and they were loaded with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as a model drug which accelerates wound healing. The NCs were then investigated by several characterization techniques such as XRD, TEM, FTIR and BET surface area. Furthermore, the release behavior of the loaded ascorbic acid from the developed NCs was measured in phosphate buffer solution (PBS). NCs antibacterial activity was tested against strain of gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC- 29213, Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC-19615 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC-6633), gram-negative bacteria strain (Pseudomonas aeruginosaATCC-27853and Escherichia coli ATCC-25922) and fungi (Candida albicans ATCC-10231).The physicochemical features of the NCs were confirmed by the results obtained from XRD and FTIR measurements. The particle size of the NCs was confirmed to be in the range of 30-50 nm. Prolonged drug release that was combined with impressive antibacterial activities, and good wound healing rates were also recognized for the zinc based NCs in comparison to commonly used Ag NPs. It is concluded that the current NCs are potentially suitable for wound healing and drug delivery applications.

In vitro wound healing properties, antioxidant activities, HPLC-ESI-MS/MS profile and phytoconstituents of the stem aqueous methanolic extract of Dracaena reflexa Lam

Column chromatography of the stem aqueous methanolic extract of Dracaena reflexa Lam. (DRSE) led to the isolation of five flavonoids, one phenolic glycoside, one triterpenoid, and two steroidal saponins. Furthermore, forty-four compounds were tentatively identified in the phytoconstituents profile of DRSE using HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The antioxidant activity of DRSE was evaluated. In DPPH radical scavenging assay, DRSE exhibited IC₅₀ value 311.6 ± 10.10 μg/mL compared to IC₅₀ value of the standard Trolox (24.42 ± 0.87 μg/mL). The antioxidant activities of DRSE using ABTS assay and FRAP assay were 326.63 μM TE/mg extract and 208.67 μM TE/mg extract, respectively. The wound healing activity of DRSE was studied by the scratch assay using HSF (Human Skin Fibroblast) cells. After 24 hrs. DRSE (at 10 and 20 μg/mL) decreased the wound width to 0.55 ± 0.37 and 0.47 ± 0.55 mm, respectively, compared to the wound width in the control cells (0.77 ± 0.17 mm). This result suggested that DRSE improved the wound healing process by inducing the migration of fibroblasts. Moreover, a docking study was performed to evaluate the binding affinity of the identified phytoconstituents toward GSK-3β relative to the co-crystalized inhibitor and curcumin with the possible involvement of this pathway in the wound healing activity of the extract.

Potential Mechanisms Involved in the Protective Effect of Dicaffeoylquinic Acids from Artemisia annua L. Leaves against Diabetes and Its Complications

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease affecting the globe and its incidence is increasing pandemically. The use of plant-derived natural products for diabetes management is of great interest. Polar fraction of Artemisia annua L. leaves has shown antidiabetic activity in vivo. In the present study, three major compounds were isolated from this polar fraction; namely, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (1); 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (2), and 3,4- dicaffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (3), using VLC-RP-18 and HPLC techniques. The potential protective effects of these compounds against diabetes and its complications were investigated by employing various in vitro enzyme inhibition assays. Furthermore, their antioxidant and wound healing effectiveness were evaluated. Results declared that these dicaffeoylquinic acids greatly inhibited DPPIV enzyme while moderately inhibited α-glucosidase enzyme, where compounds 1 and 3 displayed the most prominent effects. In addition, compound 3 showed pronounced inhibition of α-amylase enzyme. Moreover, these compounds markedly inhibited aldose reductase enzyme and exerted powerful antioxidant effects, among which compound 3 exhibited the highest activity implying a notable potentiality in impeding diabetes complications. Interestingly, compounds 2 and 3 moderately accelerated scratch wound healing. Our findings suggest that these dicaffeoylquinic acids can be promising therapeutic agents for managing diabetes and its complications.

Evaluation the Effect of Natural Compounds: Vitamin C, Green Tea, and their Combination on Progression of Mg-63 Osteosarcoma Cell Line Cells. (An In Vitro Study)

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma (OS) is considered extremely rare type of bone tumor although it is the most common type of malignant bone tumor in children with less common occurrence in elderly patients. Herbal plants and phytoconstituents are recently used in the treatment of OS to avoid the side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. AIM: The aims of the present study are to investigate the effect of natural compound Vitamin C, green tea, and their combination on OS cell line (Mg-63 cells) after 72 h. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Mg-63 cells were obtained from Nawah scientific and divided to four groups: Control untreated cells, Vitamin C treated group, green tea treated group, and Vitamin C and green tea treated group (compounds combination treated group). The viability of treated cells was examined by sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Antioxidant 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) assay was performed to investigate the antioxidant property of Vitamin C, green tea, and their combination. Flow cytometer analysis was applied to demonstrate cell cycle analysis and apoptosis. Wound width and cell migration were calculated by wound healing assay. RESULTS: SRB cytotoxic assay revealed that the Vitamin C, green tea, and their combination have a cytotoxic effect on MG-63 cells and Vitamin C has more cytotoxic effect than other two groups. Antioxidant DPPH assay showed that Vitamin C is more antioxidant agent than green tea and their combination on MG-63 cells. Flow cytometry assay revealed that the all-treated cells in different groups are arrested in cell cycle. Vitamin C, green tea, and their combination induced apoptosis and necrosis. Migration of MG-63 cells is inhibited after treated by Vitamin C, green tea, and their combination. CONCLUSION: Vitamin C, green tea, and their combination have cytotoxic effect on Mg-63 cells, also induced their effects on the cell cycle distribution and apoptosis. Anti-oxidant test was applied on three drugs revealed the powerful anti-oxidant capacity of Vitamin C than green tea and their combination. At least wound healing test was applied on malignant Mg-63 cells treated with our drugs that revealed Vitamin C was more effective.

Formulation and characterization of propolis and tea tree oil nanoemulsion loaded with clindamycin hydrochloride for wound healing: In-vitro and in-vivo wound healing assessment

This study aimed to develop propolis and tea tree oil nanoemulsion loaded with clindamycin hydrochloride to heal wound effectively. Nanoemulsion formulae were prepared and characterized by droplet size analysis, zeta potential, viscosity, ex-vivo permeation, and skin deposition. The optimal formula was evaluated in terms of morphology, cytotoxicity, and in-vitro wound healing assay. Also, the efficacy of the optimal formula was evaluated by in-vivo wound healing and histopathological studies. The optimal formula (F3) was composed of 9% tea tree oil and 0.4% propolis extracts with mean droplet size 19.42 ± 1.7 nm, zeta potential value −24.5 ± 0.2 mV, and viscosity 69.4 ± 1.8 mP. Furthermore, the optimal formula showed the highest skin deposition value 550.00 ± 4.9 µg/cm² compared to other formulae. The TEM micrograph of the optimal formula showed that the nanoemulsion droplet has an almost spherical shape. Also, the optimal formula did not show noticeable toxicity to the human skin fibroblast cells. The in-vitro and in-vivo wound healing assay showed unexpected results that the un-loaded drug nanoemulsion formula had a comparable wound healing efficacy to the drug-loaded nanoemulsion formula. These results were confirmed with histopathological studies. Our results showed that the propolis and tea tree oil nanoemulsion, whether loaded or unloaded with an antibiotic, is an efficient local therapy for wound healing.

The Frequent Sampling of Wound Scratch Assay Reveals the "Opportunity" Window for Quantitative Evaluation of Cell Motility-Impeding Drugs

Wound healing assay performed with automated microscopy is widely used in drug testing, cancer cell analysis, and similar approaches. It is easy to perform, and the results are reproducible. However, it is usually used as a semi-quantitative approach because of inefficient image segmentation in transmitted light microscopy. Recently, several algorithms for wound healing quantification were suggested, but none of them was tested on a large dataset. In the current study, we develop a pipeline allowing to achieve correct segmentation of the wound edges in >95% of pictures and extended statistical data processing to eliminate errors of cell culture artifacts. Using this tool, we collected data on wound healing dynamics of 10 cell lines with 10 min time resolution. We determine that the overall kinetics of wound healing is non-linear; however, all cell lines demonstrate linear wound closure dynamics in a 6-h window between the fifth and 12th hours after scratching. We next analyzed microtubule-inhibiting drugs’, nocodazole, vinorelbine, and Taxol, action on the kinetics of wound healing in the drug concentration-dependent way. Within this time window, the measurements of velocity of the cell edge allow the detection of statistically significant data when changes did not exceed 10–15%. All cell lines show decrease in the wound healing velocity at millimolar concentrations of microtubule inhibitors. However, dose-dependent response was cell line specific and drug specific. Cell motility was completely inhibited (edge velocity decreased 100%), while in others, it decreased only slightly (not more than 50%). Nanomolar doses (10–100 nM) of microtubule inhibitors in some cases even elevated cell motility. We speculate that anti-microtubule drugs might have specific effects on cell motility not related to the inhibition of the dynamic instability of microtubules.