Natural herb wormwood-based microneedle array for wound healing.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Wound Healing Research

Background:

• Artemisia argyi (wormwood) possesses known antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Traditional applications of wormwood exist, but novel delivery systems are underexplored.
• Microneedle (MN) technology offers a promising platform for transdermal drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel microneedle (MN) patch utilizing Artemisia argyi (wormwood) for wound healing applications.
• To investigate the formulation, mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and efficacy of the wormwood microneedle (WMN) patch.
• To explore the potential of WMN patches as a convenient and versatile natural treatment for wound management.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of WMN patches using milled wormwood sap, calcium carbonate, and sodium hyaluronate.
• Assessment of WMN patch mechanical strength and epidermal penetration capability.
• In vitro evaluation of WMN patch biocompatibility with fibroblasts, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities.
• In vivo assessment of WMN patch efficacy in an excisional rat wound model.

Main Results:

• The WMN patch exhibited sufficient mechanical strength for epidermal penetration.
• In vitro studies confirmed WMN patch biocompatibility, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects.
• The WMN patch significantly accelerated wound closure rate in a rat model compared to controls.
• The WMN patch promoted collagen deposition at the wound site.

Conclusions:

• The developed wormwood microneedle (WMN) patch is a viable and effective natural treatment for wound healing.
• The WMN patch demonstrates significant potential due to its biocompatibility, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
• This microneedle-based delivery approach can be extended to other natural bioactive compounds for various therapeutic applications.