Rutin/ZnO/mesoporous Silica-based Nano-hydrogel accelerated topical wound healing in albino mice via potential synergistic bioactive response

Burn wounds are the leading cause of accidental topical injuries. To avoid the chances of delayed healing and microbial infiltration, treating the wound with a potent antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory topical formulation is mandatory. The optimized Z-R/MSN gel was fabricated using a novel blend of rutin-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles and zinc oxide, using Design Expert software to augment topical wound healing. The in silico molecular docking of Rutin-ZnO molecular complex presented H-bonding interactions with amino acid residues LYS183 of the catalytic loop and amino acid ASP200 of the DFG motif, with a bond distance ranging from 3.01 Å to 3.32 Å. Moreover, the hydrophobic interactions with ASP133, TYR134, and ASN186 contributed to the significant inhibition of enzyme activity with a G-score of −8.7 kcal/mol. Topical application of Z-R/MSN gel has shown significant wound contraction (98.35 % ± 0.03) in albino mice models compared to blank gel (60.67 % ± 0.06). Zones of inhibition exhibited by Z-R/MSN for Klebsiella spp., S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli were 29.21 mm ± 2.39, 29.27 mm ± 1.83, 29.69 mm ± 2.68, and 33.14 mm ± 2.23, respectively. This research proved that Z-R/MSN gel accelerated topical wound-healing and provided robust antimicrobial protection to the wound. Further investigations on this innovative formulation may expand its commercial applications in clinical dermatology.