Exploring the Potential of Royal-Jelly-Incorporated Hydrogel Dressings as Innovative Wound Care Materials

Abstract

The development of multifunctional dressing materials with beneficial properties for wound healing has become a recent focus of research. Many studies are being conducted to incorporate active substances into dressings to positively impact wound healing processes. Researchers have investigated various natural additives, including plant extracts and apiproducts such as royal jelly, to enhance the properties of dressings. In this study, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-based hydrogel dressings modified with royal jelly were developed and analyzed for their sorption ability, wettability, surface morphology, degradation, and mechanical properties. The results showed that the royal jelly and crosslinking agent content had an impact on the physicochemical properties of the hydrogels and their potential for use as innovative dressing materials. This study investigated the swelling behavior, surface morphology, and mechanical properties of hydrogel materials containing royal jelly. The majority of the tested materials showed a gradual increase in swelling ratio with time. The pH of the incubated fluids varied depending on the type of fluid used, with distilled water having the greatest decrease in pH due to the release of organic acids from the royal jelly. The hydrogel samples had a relatively homogeneous surface, and no dependence between composition and surface morphology was observed. Natural additives like royal jelly can modify the mechanical properties of hydrogels, increasing their elongation percentage while decreasing their tensile strength. These findings suggest possible future applications in various fields requiring high flexibility and elasticity.

Royal Jelly: Biological Action and Health Benefits

“…In general, it has been shown that RJ and its components promote wound healing at both animal and cellular levels [ 318 , 319 , 320 , 321 , 322 , 323 , 324 , 325 , 326 ]. Some components of RJ show anti-inflammatory effects (SA, 10-HDA, and 10-HDAA), some components promote proliferation and migration (MRJPs, especially MRJP2, MRJP3, and MRJP7), whereas some components stimulate regenerative activities (royalactin, royalisin, and 10-HDA) [ 313 , 314 , 315 , 316 , 317 , 318 , 319 , 320 , 321 , 322 , 323 , 324 , 325 ].…”

Soluble Fluorinated Cardo Copolyimide as an Effective Additive to Photopolymerizable Compositions Based on Di(meth)acrylates: Application for Highly Thermostable Primary Protective Coating of Silica Optical Fiber

“…Photo-curable compositions have been extensively used to produce materials for various applications including in regenerative medicine [8,9], in particular, multifunctional hydrogel dressings [9], biomimetic magnetic structures [10], composites with antimicrobial properties provided by the inclusion of quaternary ammonium salts [11], and materials against Staphylococcus aureus [12]. Recent advances have made it possible to design and print dentures, crowns and mouthguards [13][14][15].…”