Development of a Polymeric Membrane Impregnated with Poly-Lactic Acid (PLA) Nanoparticles Loaded with Red Propolis...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Red propolis (RP) is known for its antioxidant properties.
• Polymeric membranes are used in various biomedical applications.
• Developing effective drug delivery systems for wound healing is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize hydrophilic polymeric membranes.
• To incorporate poly-lactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with red propolis (RP) into these membranes.
• To evaluate the antioxidant capacity and potential application of the developed membranes in skin wound treatment.

Main Methods:

• Ultrasonic-assisted extraction for red propolis hydroalcoholic extract (RPE).
• Solvent emulsification and diffusion technique for creating PLA nanoparticles (NPs) and RP-loaded NPs (NPRP).
• Fabrication of biopolymeric hydrogel membranes (MNPRP) using carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and NPRP.
• Characterization using thermal analysis, FTIR, TPC, TFC, DPPH, FRAP assays, and UPLC-DAD for marker identification.

Main Results:

• The developed membranes (MNPRP) exhibited significant total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC).
• High antioxidant activity was confirmed through DPPH and FRAP assays.
• Particle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential of NPs and NPRP were evaluated, with an encapsulation efficiency of 85.4%.
• Thermal analysis confirmed high stability and no detrimental interactions between components.
• FTIR confirmed successful encapsulation of RPE within NPRP and CMC in MNPRP.

Conclusions:

• The developed polymeric membranes successfully incorporated red propolis nanoparticles, retaining significant antioxidant capacity.
• The characterization confirmed the stability and successful encapsulation within the membranes.
• These antioxidant-rich membranes show promise for applications in skin wound treatment.