Healing Fibers with Essential Oils for Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Wound Care

Jenn Hoskins
9th August, 2024

Healing Fibers with Essential Oils for Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Wound Care

Microscopic and macroscopic imaging (a–c) confirms the successful fabrication of coaxial wet-spun fibers, while quantitative analysis (d–f) reveals that the fiber dimensions are significantly altered by the type of essential oil incorporated, reflecting the oil's affinity for the core polymer.

Image adapted from: Miranda et al. / CC BY (Source)

Key Findings

  • Researchers at the University of Minho developed a new drug delivery system using coaxial wet-spun fibers to encapsulate and release essential oils (EOs) for chronic wound treatment
  • The fibers maintained their structure for 28 days and released EOs in a sustained manner, showing significant antibacterial effectiveness against common wound bacteria
  • The fibers also exhibited strong antioxidant effects and were safe for contact with human skin cells, indicating their potential to promote wound healing and reduce bacterial load
Chronic wounds are a significant global health issue, often complicated by bacterial infections. As bacterial resistance to antibiotics grows, finding alternative treatments becomes increasingly important. Essential oils (EOs) have emerged as a promising solution due to their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. However, their high volatility poses a challenge for sustained therapeutic use. Researchers at the University of Minho have developed an innovative drug delivery system using coaxial wet-spun fibers to encapsulate and release EOs, such as clove oil (CO), cinnamon leaf oil (CLO), and tea tree oil (TTO), to address this issue[1]. The research team engineered a coaxial system that includes two syringe pumps, a coagulation bath of deionized water, a cylindrical-shaped collector, and a coaxial spinneret. They used a 10% w/v polycaprolactone (PCL) solution mixed with EOs at twice the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for the inner core and a 10% w/v cellulose acetate (CA) solution combined with 10% w/v polyethylene glycol (PEG) for the outer layer. This outer layer acts as a barrier, controlling the release of the entrapped EO. The CA's porosity in water coagulation baths allows access to the fiber's core, while the PEG enhances the fibers' elasticity. The study found that these microfibers maintained their structural integrity for 28 days in physiological-like environments. They demonstrated high elasticity (maximum elongation at break >300%) and mechanical strength, with mass losses ranging from approximately 2.29% to 57.19%. The EOs were released in a prolonged and sustained manner, with around 30% of the EO released within the first 24 hours of incubation in physiological-like media. This release profile showed significant antibacterial effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are commonly found in chronic wounds[2]. The effectiveness of these EOs against bacteria is particularly relevant given the high resistance of bacteria in chronic wounds to conventional antibiotics. Chronic wounds often remain in the inflammatory stage due to bacterial colonization and biofilm formation, which hampers healing[2]. The sustained release of EOs from the engineered fibers offers a potential solution to this problem by continuously delivering antibacterial agents to the wound site, thereby reducing bacterial load and promoting healing. In addition to their antibacterial properties, the microfibers also exhibited strong antioxidant effects, with up to 59% reduction in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity. This is significant because oxidative stress can further impede wound healing. By reducing oxidative stress, the EOs can help create a more favorable environment for wound repair. Safety is also a critical factor in developing new wound treatments. The coaxial system was found to be safe for contact with fibroblasts and human keratinocytes, with metabolic activities higher than 80% after 48 hours of incubation. This indicates that the fibers are biocompatible and unlikely to cause adverse reactions when applied to human skin. The study builds on previous research into wound dressings and antimicrobial treatments. Modern wound dressings have evolved to incorporate natural and synthetic polymers with active compounds that aid in healing. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been a recent addition to these systems, aiming to control microbial proliferation and modulate the host's immune response[3]. The use of electrospinning techniques has also been explored extensively for producing nanoscale fibrous mats for wound dressings[3]. The coaxial wet-spun fibers developed in this study represent an advancement in this field by providing a new method for sustained release of antimicrobial agents. In summary, the study from the University of Minho demonstrates the potential of using coaxial wet-spun fibers to deliver essential oils for the treatment of chronic wounds. This innovative approach addresses the volatility of EOs and provides a sustained release mechanism that can effectively combat bacterial infections and promote wound healing. The findings offer a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics and contribute to the ongoing search for effective treatments for chronic wounds.

MedicineHealthBiochem

References

Main Study

1) Antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytocompatible coaxial wet-spun fibers made of polycaprolactone and cellulose acetate loaded with essential oils for wound care.

Published 6th August, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134565

Related Studies

2) Bacterial Contribution in Chronicity of Wounds.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-016-0867-9

3) Functionalization of electrospun polymeric wound dressings with antimicrobial peptides.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2017.05.001


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