Mequinol-Loaded Nano Clay Drug Carriers in a Gelatin Hydrogel for Wound Healing: An Antiinflammatory and Antioxidant Treatment Modality

Abstract

In the current study, mequinol was loaded into clay nanoparticles and the resulting nanocarriers were dispersed in a gelatin hydrogel to prepare a potential wound dressing material. The developed nanocomposite hydrogels were characterized regarding their biocompatibility, swelling, radical scavenging activity, swelling potential, and release profile. The healing function of the produce wound dressing was investigated in a rat model of diabetic wound healing. In vitro studies showed that our developed hydrogel was not toxic against the skin cells and was conductive for their adhesion and proliferation. In vivo study showed that mequinol-loaded nanocomposite hydrogels augmented the rate of wound size reduction in diabetic rats by improving wounds’ epithelialization and deposition of collagen fibers.