Hyaluronan/Zinc Oxide Nanocomposite-Based Membrane: Preparation, Characterization, and In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation

Abstract

Hyaluronic acid (HA) has attracted the attention of scientists for its application in many medical fields owing to its intrinsic properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, and nontoxicity. Poor stability and antibacterial activity are the most significant drawbacks of using HA in preparing a wound dressing. The wound dressing should be able to swell and absorb exudates from the wound, as well as possess antibacterial activity. Herein, we successfully prepared an HA-based antibacterial wound dressing that can swell more than 500 times and with good mechanical properties. HA was used both as reducing and stabilizing agents, and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were incorporated via in situ synthesis. The uniform spherical shape of ZnO-NPs (50 ± 10 nm) was synthesized and assembled on a hyaluronan/polyvinyl alcohol matrix (HA/PVA), forming stable and evenly distributed ZnO-NPs, which interacted with the HA/PVA. Such a hybrid nanostructure prevented ZnO-NPs from dropping off the PVA/HA network and thus minimized the toxicity of NPs. Concerning the slow release of NPs, the nanocomposite membrane still exhibited significant antibacterial activity against different types of bacteria (G+/−). The ZnO-NPs/HA/PVA composite membrane allows the attachment and growth of normal human dermal fibroblasts and human primary osteogenic sarcoma (Saos-2) without exhibiting toxicity. In vivo measurements showed that the nanocomposite PVA/HA/ZnO-NP membrane promoted infected wound healing compared with the control sample. The results obtained suggest that the investigated nanocomposite has reasonable potential as an antibacterial wound dressing material.

Self-Assembled Hydrogel Membranes with Structurally Tunable Mechanical and Biological Properties

“…Native CO and LHM were removed and dried using filter paper to remove excess water or PBS from the hydrogel membrane surface. The percentage of swelling (%) of the LHM was then calculated using eq . , normalSwellin normalg .25em ratio .25em ( % ) = W s − W d W s × 100 where W s is the weight of the swollen LHM, and W d is the weight of the dry membrane; each value is averaged from three parallel measurements.…”

“…The percentage of swelling (%) of the LHM was then calculated using eq 1. 21,33 W W W Swelling ratio (%) 100…”

“…Chitin nanocrystals are promising nanofiller materials with high biocompatibility, biodegradability, excellent mechanical properties, and antibacterial activity . Chitin nanowhiskers have been used as nanofiller material to improve the mechanical properties of natural polymers such as hyaluronan, , chitosan , and synthetic polymers such as PMMA . The chitinous matrix promotes different bone cells (mesenchymal and osteoblast stem) and the ingrowth surrounding tissues. , Chitin microfibers were used to prepare collagen/chitin composite scaffolds to improve the biological properties of collagen.…”

Marine Biomaterials: Hyaluronan

“…The biodegradability of hyaluronan makes it an ideal material for temporary medical devices, such as drug delivery vehicles or tissue engineering scaffolds. These devices can be designed to degrade over time, allowing for the controlled release of therapeutic agents or the gradual replacement of the device with natural tissue [ 57 ].…”

“…Abdelrahman and coworkers [ 57 ] have developed an innovative antibacterial wound dressing with excellent swelling capacity and good mechanical properties, using hyaluronic acid (HA) as both a reducing and stabilizing agent, as well as incorporating zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) through in situ synthesis ( Figure 5 ). The fact that the ZnO-NPs/HA/PVA composite membrane supports the attachment and growth of normal human dermal fibroblasts and human primary osteogenic sarcoma (Saos-2) without exhibiting toxicity is a significant achievement.…”