Avaliação das propriedades reológicas de blendas pluronic para a incorporação do óleo essencial de Cymbopogon citratus

Abstract

In this work, systems of polymeric blends of Pluronic with hydrophilic polymers (chitosan, guar gum, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol) were developed to convey the essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus (OECC) as a model of healing material. An experimental design was carried out based on the influence of these hydrophilic polymers on the gel formation characteristics, evaluating the gelation time at 37 °C as a response. After selecting the formulation with the required characteristics, OECC was added and the blend was characterized by pH, spreadability, viscosity, rheology, and chemical analysis. Chitosan, a polymer defined by the design, provided the formation of the gelled blend in a shorter time and the absence of precipitates. The presence of OECC allows for discreet changes in chemical properties (in the infrared spectrum, displacement of the C=C peak of the oil in the blend; in pH, a slight increase to 4.6); but not in the rheological ones, only a reduction in spreadability and maintenance of the pseudoplastic behavior of the blend without the OECC. Therefore, no significant modifications would make applying the blend as an auxiliary material impossible in the cutaneous tissue healing process.