Fabrication and evaluation of chitosan nanoparticles/sodium alginate composite dressings for controlled drug delivery of tetracycline in wound healing

Abstract

In this research, tetracycline-containing polymeric nanocomposite dressings were fabricated using chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) and sodium alginate (SA) to promote wound healing. CS NPs containing the drug were synthesized using the ionic gelation method. The uniform distribution of drug-loaded CS NPs was obtained with the use of SA as a matrix and an appropriate amount of lauric acid as a surface activator. The average diameter of drug-loaded CS NPs was found to be about 90 nm by an atomic force microscope. The results of dynamic light scattering and zeta potential experiments showed that the average size of CS NPs was about 110 nm and the surface charge was about 28 mV, while these values for drug-loaded CS NPs were about 160 nm and 40 mV, respectively. Furthermore, the tensile test findings demonstrated that optimal mechanical properties can be achieved in the system containing 7 wt.% of the drug. The release profile of the drug from this system was monitored for 132 h. The investigation of the kinetic behavior of drug release using several methods indicated that the Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models were the most appropriate ones for evaluation. The antibacterial test confirmed that the developed system has antibacterial properties, and the average measured diameters of the inhibitory zones against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus after one day were 31 ± 0.5, and 38 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. Hence, it can be concluded that the fabricated CS NPs/SA nanocomposite film containing 7 wt.% tetracycline can be considered as a suitable option for wound healing with long-term drug release. © Qatar University and Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.