Preparation and Comparison of Effects of Different Herbal Oil Ointments as Wound-Healing Agents

Multi-Functional Chitosan Nanovesicles Loaded with Bioactive Manganese for Potential Wound Healing Applications

Chronic skin wound is a chronic illness that possesses a risk of infection and sepsis. In particular, infections associated with antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains are challenging to treat. To combat this challenge, a suitable alternative that is complementary to antibiotics is desired for wound healing. In this work, we report multi-functional nanoscale chitosan vesicles loaded with manganese (Chi-Mn) that has potential to serve as a new tool to augment traditional antibiotic treatment for skin wound healing. Chi-Mn showed antioxidant activity increase over time as well as antimicrobial activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa PA01. The modified motility assay that mimicked a skin wound before bacterial colonization showed inhibition of bacterial growth with Chi-Mn treatment at a low area density of 0.04 µg of Mn per cm2. Furthermore, this study demonstrated the compatibility of Chi-Mn with a commercial antibiotic showing no loss of antimicrobial potency. In vitro cytotoxicity of Chi-Mn was assessed with macrophages and dermal cell lines (J774A.1 and HDF) elucidating biocompatibility at a wide range (2 ppm-256 ppm). A scratch wound assay involving human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells was performed to assess any negative effect of Chi-Mn on cell migration. Confocal microscopy study confirmed that Chi-Mn tested at the MIC (16 ppm Mn) has no effect on cell migration with respect to control. Overall, this study demonstrated the potential of Chi-Mn nanovesicles for wound healing applications.

Synthesis and Characterization of Sulfur Nanoparticles of Citrus limon Extract Embedded in Nanohydrogel Formulation: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

The study aimed to synthesize non-noxious, clean, reliable, and green sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) from Citrus limon leaves. The synthesized SNPs were used to analyze particle size, zeta potential, UV–visible spectroscopy, SEM, and ATR-FTIR. The prepared SNPs exhibited a globule size of 55.32 ± 2.15 nm, PDI value of 0.365 ± 0.06, and zeta potential of −12.32 ± 0.23 mV. The presence of SNPs was confirmed by UV–visible spectroscopy in the range of 290 nm. The SEM image showed that the particles were spherical with a size of 40 nm. The ATR-FTIR study showed no interaction, and all the major peaks were preserved in the formulations. An antimicrobial and antifungal study of SNPs was carried out against Gram-positive bacteria (Staph. aureus, Bacillus), Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli and Bordetella), and fungal strains (Candida albicans). The study showed that Citrus limon extract SNPs exhibited better antimicrobial and antifungal activities against Staph. aureus, Bacillus, E. coli, Bordetella, and Candida albicans at a minimal inhibitory concentration of 50 μg/mL. Different antibiotics were used alone and in combination with SNPs of Citrus limon extract to evaluate their activity against various strains of bacteria and fungal strains. The study showed that using SNPs of Citrus limon extract with antibiotics has a synergistic effect against Staph.aureus, Bacillus, E. coli, Bordetella, and Candida albicans. SNPs were embedded in nanohydrogel formulations for in vivo (wound healing) studies. In preclinical studies, SNPs of Citrus limon extract embedded within a nanohydrogel formulation (NHGF4) have shown promising results. To be widely used in clinical settings, further studies are needed to evaluate their safety and efficacy in human volunteers.

A Status Review on Health-Promoting Properties and Global Regulation of Essential Oils

Since ancient times, essential oils (EOs) have been known for their therapeutic potential against many health issues. Recent studies suggest that EOs may contribute to the regulation and modulation of various biomarkers and cellular pathways responsible for metabolic health as well as the development of many diseases, including cancer, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and bacterial infections. During metabolic dysfunction and even infections, the immune system becomes compromised and releases pro-inflammatory cytokines that lead to serious health consequences. The bioactive compounds present in EOs (especially terpenoids and phenylpropanoids) with different chemical compositions from fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants confer protection against these metabolic and infectious diseases through anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial properties. In this review, we have highlighted some targeted physiological and cellular actions through which EOs may exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial properties. In addition, it has been observed that EOs from specific plant sources may play a significant role in the prevention of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, microbial infections, and increasing breast milk production, along with improvements in heart, liver, and brain health. The current status of the bioactive activities of EOs and their therapeutic effects are covered in this review. However, with respect to the health benefits of EOs, it is very important to regulate the dose and usage of EOs to reduce their adverse health effects. Therefore, we specified that some countries have their own regulatory bodies while others follow WHO and FAO standards and legislation for the use of EOs.

Scoping Review: Evaluation of Moringa oleifera (Lam.) for Potential Wound Healing in In Vivo Studies

Wound healing is a natural process to restore damaged tissues due to loss of tissue integrity. Moringa oleifera (locally known as merunggai in Malaysia) has been traditionally used in various ailments, including for wound management. To evaluate the wound healing properties in M. oleifera, publications were searched and selected following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement with predetermined inclusion criteria. The databases searched for primary studies include PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, LILACS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and CENTRAL. In total, 18 in vivo studies were included, which involved the leaves, while the remaining 5 studies involved other plant parts tested on excision, incision, dead space, abrasion, and burn-induced wound models. All studies reported significant wound healing abilities. Most studies used different topical formulations of aqueous leaves extract. The accumulation of collagen content and underlying wound healing mechanism through antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities may be contributed by its bioactive phytochemical content, which has the potential to accelerate the wound contraction, increase the rate of epithelialization, and protect tissues against oxidative damage. In conclusion, M. oleifera showed wound healing potential but further studies are warranted to determine the main bioactive phytocompounds and safety.

Formulation and Evaluation of Helichrysum italicum Essential Oil-Based Topical Formulations for Wound Healing in Diabetic Rats

As proper wound management is crucial to reducing morbidity and improving quality of life, this study evaluated for the first time the wound healing potential of H. italicum essential oil (HIEO) prepared in the form of ointment and gel in streptozotocin-induced diabetic wound models in rats. After creating full-thickness cutaneous wounds, forty-eight diabetic rats were divided into six groups: (1) negative control; (2) positive control; (3) ointment base; (4) gel base; (5) 0.5% HIEO ointment (6) 0.5% HIEO gel. Wound healing potential was determined by the percentage of wound contraction, hydroxyproline content, redox status, and histological observation. A significant decrease in the wound size was observed in animals treated with HIEO formulations compared with other groups. The HIEO groups also showed a higher level of total hydroxyproline content, and more pronounced restitution of adnexal structures with only the underlying muscle defect indicating the incision site. Hence, our results legitimate the traditional data of the pro-healing effect of HIEO because HIEO in both formulations such as gel and ointment exhibited the significant wound repairing effect in the incision wound model.

Levofloxacin nanoemulsion gel has a powerful healing effect on infected wound in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The aim of this study was to develop a novel oil-in-water (o/w) nanoemulsion gel containing levofloxacin for enhanced topical efficacy. Average particle size of sesame oil nanoemulsion without (SONE) and containing levofloxacin (SONEL) was found as 25.2 and 26.3 nm, respectively. Results from scratch test showed that SONEL had better proliferation effect in comparison with negative control. Treated animals with SONEL showed significant reduction in period of epithelialization, wound contraction, and number of inflammatory cells among all groups. Also, SONEL-treated group had the greatest collagen synthesis. Immunohistochemical analysis showed high intensity of CD31 and TGF-β at wound site of treatment groups with SONEL on day 12 post-treatment (P < 0.05). Skin irritation test demonstrated safety of SONEL gel for skin topical application. In conclusion, our studies suggest that SONEL could be an effective formulation for treatment of diabetic wound infection by controlling infection and improving the healing process. Graphical Abstract .