An investigation of konjac glucomannan-keratin hydrogel scaffold loaded with Avena sativa extracts for diabetic wound healing

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces, B, Biointerfaces B, Biointerfaces, 2018-05, Vol.165, p.92-102
• Main Authors: Veerasubramanian, Praveen Krishna, Thangavel, Ponrasu, Kannan, Ramya, Chakraborty, Sudip, Ramachandran, Balaji, Suguna, Lonchin, Muthuvijayan, Vignesh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Avena - chemistry; Avena sativa; Cell Survival - drug effects; Collagen - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - pathology; Diabetic wound healing; Humans; Hydrogels - chemistry; Keratins - chemistry; Keratins - isolation & purification; Konjac glucomannan; Male; Mannans - chemistry; Mice; NIH 3T3 Cells; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Polysaccharide-protein hydrogels; Rats, Wistar; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry; Wound dressings; Wound Healing - drug effects
• ISSN: 0927-7765; 1873-4367
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.02.022

[Display omitted] •Oat extract-loaded Konjac glucomannan–Keratins (KGM+KER+OAT) wound dressing developed.•KGM+KER+OAT dressing significantly accelerated the wound healing in diabetic rats.•Incorporation of OAT enhanced collagen synthesis and deposition in diabetic wounds. We have developed a novel hydrogel composed of konjac glucomannan (KGM), human hair proteins (KER), and an ethanolic extract of Avena sativa (OAT) and evaluated its potential as a dressing material for diabetic wounds. KGM is an excellent biocompatible gelling agent that stimulates fibroblast proliferation and immunomodulation. Human hair proteins (KER) are biocompatible, biodegradable, and possess abundant cell adhesion sites. KER also promotes fibroblast attachment and proliferation, keratinocyte migration, and collagen expression, which can accelerate wound healing. OAT consists of oat β-glucans and several anti-inflammatory and antioxidant moieties that can reduce prolonged inflammation in chronic wounds. SEM images confirm the highly porous architecture of the scaffolds. When immersed in PBS, KGM+KER+OAT hydrogels absorb 7.5 times their dry weight. These hydrogels display a measured rate of degradation in lysozyme. KGM+KER+OAT hydrogels showed no significant cytotoxicity against NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. DAPI and SEM images obtained after 48h of cell culture illustrate the attachment and infiltration of fibroblasts. In vivo studies performed using a diabetic rat excision wound model showed that KGM+KER+OAT hydrogels significantly accelerated wound healing compared to the control and the KGM+KER hydrogels.