Pectin–Zeolite-Based Wound Dressings with Controlled Albumin Release

Abstract

Hypoalbuminemia can lead to poor and delayed wound healing, while it is also associated with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, malignancies, and COVID-19. In elective surgery, patients with low albumin have high risks of postoperative wound complications. Here, we propose a novel cost-effective wound dressing material based on low-methoxy pectin and NaA-zeolite particles with controlled albumin release properties. We focused on both albumin adsorption and release phenomena for wounds with excess exudate. Firstly, we investigated albumin dynamics and calculated electrostatic surfaces at experimental pH values in water by using molecular dynamics methods. Then, we studied in detail pectin–zeolite hydrogels with both adsorption and diffusion into membrane methods using different pH values and albumin concentrations. To understand if uploaded albumin molecules preserved their secondary conformation in different formulations, we monitored the effect of pH and albumin concentration on the conformational changes in albumin after it was released from the hydrogels by using CD-UV spectroscopy analyses. Our results indicate that at pH 6.4, BSA-containing films preserved the protein’s folded structure while the protein was being released to the external buffer solutions. In vitro wound healing assay indicated that albumin-loaded hydrogels showed no toxic effects on the fibroblast cells.

Zeolites as Ingredients of Medicinal Products

“…The adsorption results showed a pH-sensitive behaviour in the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the zeolite and a successfully adsorption in pectin zeolite matrices at an adequate pH. The presence of zeolite on the pectin hydrogel increases the BSA adsorption; nevertheless, no release was observed, which the authors related to an insufficient driving force for the diffusion of BSA molecules out of the films [ 78 ].…”

Effects of Drug-Free Pectin Hydrogel Films on Thermal Burn Wounds in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

“…They used a 5% ( w / w ) pectin solution in preparing the pectin–allantoin hydrogel and the alginate–pectin hydrogel film, respectively for the in vivo wound healing study using Wistar rats as the animal model. Another study by Kocaaga and co-workers [ 28 ] employed a lower concentration of pectin at 2% ( w / w ) to prepare pectin–zeolite-based wound dressings; nevertheless, the wound healing study was conducted in vitro. Hence, in future studies, it could be useful to examine the in vivo wound healing effects of pectin hydrogel film at a higher concentration than 5% ( w / w ).…”

Carrageenan-Based Compounds as Wound Healing Materials

“…The addition of certain nanoparticles in nanomaterials has different complementary or modulating effects on the properties of the resulting compounds. The use of nanoparticles in order to enhance the properties of wound dressing materials is a subject of significant current interest [ 93 , 94 ]. Some experimental nanoparticles integrated into carrageenan-based nanoformulations are presented in Table 3 , along with the properties associated with each nanoparticle.…”