Chitosan-carrageenan microbeads containing nano-encapsulated curcumin: Nano-in-micro hydrogels as alternative-therapeutics for resistant pathogens associated with chronic wounds

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules 2024-10, Vol.278 (Pt 4), p.134841, Article 134841
• Main Authors: Ali, Syed Muhammad Afroz, Khan, Javeria, Shahid, Ramla, Shabbir, Saima, Ayoob, Muhammad Faisal, Imran, Muhammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antimicrobial resistance; Carrageenan - chemistry; Chitosan; Chitosan - chemistry; Chronic wound; Curcumin - chemistry; Curcumin - pharmacology; Drug Liberation; Glycolipids; Hydrogels - chemistry; Mice; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microspheres; Nano-antimicrobials; Nano-in-micro hydrogels; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; κ-Carrageenan
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134841

Antimicrobial resistance is an issue of global relevance for the treatment of chronic wound infections. In this study, nano-in-micro hydrogels (microbeads) of chitosan and κ-carrageenan (CCMBs) containing curcumin-loaded rhamnosomes (Cur-R) were developed. The potential of Cur-R-CCMBs for improving the antibacterial activity and sustained release of curcumin was evaluated. Curcumin-loaded rhamnosomes (rhamnolipids functionalized liposomes) had a mean particle size of 116 ± 7 nm and a surface-charge of −24.5 ± 9.4 mV. The encapsulation efficiency of curcumin increased from 42.83 % ± 0.69 % in Cur-R to 95.24 % ± 3.61 % respectively after their embedding in CCMBs. SEM revealed smooth surface morphology of Cur-R-CCMBs. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of weak electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions among curcumin, rhamnosomes, and microbeads. Cur-R-CCMBs had demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against multi-drug resistant chronic wound pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Cur-R-CCMBs also exhibited significantly higher anti-oxidant (76.85 % ± 2.12 %) and anti-inflammatory activity (91.94 % ± 0.41 %) as well as hemocompatibility (4.024 % ± 0.59 %) as compared to pristine microbeads. In vivo infection model of mice revealed significant reduction in the viable bacterial count of S. aureus (∼2.5 log CFU/mL) and P. aeruginosa (∼2 log CFU/mL) for Cur-R-CCMBs after 5 days. Therefore, nano-in-micro hydrogels can improve the overall efficacy of hydrophobic antimicrobials to develop effective alternative-therapeutics against resistant-pathogens associated with chronic wound infections. •Novel nano-in-micro hydrogels with curcumin-loaded rhamnosomes were developed.•High encapsulation efficiency of curcumin in nano-in-micro (N-in-M) hydrogels•Improved antibacterial activity against multidrug resistant S. aureus and P. aeruginosa•Sustained release profile of curcumin in simulated wound fluid from N-in-M hydrogels•Excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hemocompatibility of N-in-M hydrogels