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Electrospun anti-inflammatory patch loaded with essential oils for wound healing
Sara García-Salinas1, Michael Evangelopoulos2, Enrique Gámez-Herrera1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Aragon Institute of Nanoscience (INA), University of Zaragoza, Campus Río Ebro-Edificio I+D, C/ Mariano Esquillor S/N, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine, CIBER-BBN, Madrid 28029, Spain.
Abstract:
Wound healing is a complex process that consists of three overlapping phases: inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. A bacterial infection can increase inflammation and delay this process. Microorganisms are closely related to the innate immune system, such as macrophages and neutrophils, as they can start an inflammatory cascade. Essential oils play an important role in the inhibition and prevention of bacterial growth due to their ability to reduce antimicrobial resistance. The possibility to find a strategy that combines antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties is particularly appealing for wound healing. In this work, we showcase a variety of patches based on electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers loaded with natural compounds derived from essential oils, such as thymol (THY) and tyrosol (TYR), to achieve reduced inflammation. In addition, we compared the effect these essential oils have on activated macrophages when incorporated into the PCL patch. Specifically, we demonstrate that PCL-THY resulted in more efficient down-regulation of pro-inflammatory genes related to the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κb) pathway when compared to PCL-TYR and the combination patch containing TYR and THY (i.e., PCL-TYR-THY). Furthermore, PCL-THY displayed low affinity for cell attachment, which may hinder wound adherence and integration. Overall, our results indicate that THY-loaded patches could serve as promising candidates for the fabrication of dressings that incorporate bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties while simultaneously avoiding the limitations of traditional antibiotic-loaded devices.
Insights
New wound healing patches loaded with thymol (THY) show promise for reducing inflammation and bacterial growth. These essential oil-infused nanofibers offer an alternative to traditional antibiotics for advanced wound care.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Wound Healing Research
- Nanotechnology Applications
Background:
- Wound healing involves inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling phases, often complicated by bacterial infections.
- Bacterial infections trigger inflammatory cascades involving immune cells like macrophages and neutrophils.
- Essential oils possess antimicrobial properties, crucial for combating bacterial growth and reducing antimicrobial resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber patches loaded with essential oils (thymol and tyrosol) for wound healing applications.
- To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of these PCL-based patches on activated macrophages.
- To compare the efficacy of thymol (THY) and tyrosol (TYR) loaded patches in modulating inflammatory gene expression.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers loaded with thymol (THY) and tyrosol (TYR).
- Assessment of the anti-inflammatory effects of PCL-THY, PCL-TYR, and PCL-TYR-THY patches on activated macrophages.
- Quantification of pro-inflammatory gene expression related to the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κb) pathway.
Main Results:
- PCL-THY patches demonstrated superior down-regulation of pro-inflammatory genes in the NF-κb pathway compared to PCL-TYR and PCL-TYR-THY.
- Thymol-loaded patches (PCL-THY) exhibited low affinity for cell attachment, potentially impacting wound adherence.
- Essential oil-loaded PCL nanofibers show potential for combined antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory wound dressing applications.
Conclusions:
- Thymol-loaded PCL nanofibers are effective in reducing inflammation associated with wound healing.
- These THY-loaded patches offer a promising alternative to conventional antibiotic-loaded wound dressings.
- Further research is needed to optimize cell attachment properties for enhanced wound integration.
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