Thymoquinone: Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin Loaded Bacterial Cellulose for the Management of Wounds

• Published in: Pharmaceutics Vol. 14; no. 12; p. 2816
• Main Authors: Swingler, Sam, Gupta, Abhishek, Gibson, Hazel, Kowalczuk, Marek, Adamus, Grazyna, Heaselgrave, Wayne, Radecka, Iza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.12.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: anti-fungal; Antimicrobial agents; biomaterials; biopolymer; Care and treatment; Caustic soda; Cellulose; controlled drug release; Cyclodextrins; Dosage and administration; experimental dermatology; Feasibility studies; Fourier transforms; Hydrogels; Phytochemicals; Testing; wound dressing; Wounds and injuries; United Kingdom; United Kingdom > UK; anti-fungal; wound dressing; controlled drug release; biopolymer; biomaterials; experimental dermatology; bacterial cellulose
• ISSN: 1999-4923; 1999-4923
• DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14122816

The need for more advantageous and pharmaceutically active wound dressings is a pressing matter in the area of wound management. In this study, we explore the possibility of incorporating thymoquinone within bacterial cellulose, utilising cyclodextrins as a novel method of solubilising hydrophobic compounds. The thymoquinone was not soluble in water, so was incorporated within hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin before use. Thymoquinone: hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex produced was found to be soluble in water up to 7% ( / ) and was stable with no crystal formation for at least 7 days with the ability to be loaded within the bacterial cellulose matrix. The inclusion complex was found to be thermally stable up to 280 °C which is far greater than the production temperature of 80 °C and was stable in phosphate-buffered saline and extraction solvents in permeation and dose experiments. The adhesion properties of the Thymoquinone: hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin loaded bacterial cellulose dressings were tested and found to be 2.09 N. Permeation studies on skin mimicking membrane Strat-M showed a total permeated amount (0-24 h) of 538.8 µg cm and average flux after a 2 h lag of 22.4 µg h cm . To the best of our knowledge, the methods outlined in this study are the first instance of loading bacterial cellulose with thymoquinone inclusion complex with the aim of producing a pharmaceutically active wound dressing.