NOVEL ZINC OXIDE NANO-HYDROGEL AND MUCIN CO-FORMULATION FOR DIABETIC WOUND HEALING: A SYNERGISTIC APPROACH

Ezealisiji Kenneth M.*, Okeke Chidiebere and Xavier Siwe-Noudou

ABSTRACT

Present investigation aims to evaluate the diabetic wound healing property of Zinc Oxide nanoparticles and snail mucin from Achatina marginata, and to compare the synergistic effects of the Zinc Oxide Nano-Hydrogel and mucin co-formulated product in a diabetic rat model. Excision wound model was inflicted on five groups of three diabetic rats each. Group V received dermal application of blanc hydrogel (negative control), Group IV received 1% w/w gentamycin ointment as positive control, Group III received a combination of 0.5 % w/w Zinc Oxide nanoparticles and 1 % w/w mucin in Hydrogel. Group II received 1 % w/w Zinc Oxide nanoparticles in hydrogel, while group I receive 1% w/w mucin in hydrogel alone. The parameters observed were epithelialisation period and percentage wound contraction. The combination of Zinc Oxide Nano-Hydrogel and mucin formulation was observed to significantly heal the diabetic wound within twelve days showing a synergistic wound healing property. The standard gentamycin ointment had a lower wound healing activity compared to all other test groups. Mucin alone showed the highest percentage of wound contraction while the combination of mucin and Zinc Oxide Nano-Hydrogel showed a relatively high percentage of wound contraction with a short epithelialisation period. The results of present research indicate the significant wound healing of Zinc Oxide Nano-Hydrogel and Mucin co-formulated product in experimental animal groups in diabetic condition.

Keywords: Zinc Oxide nanoparticles; Mucin; Synergistic; Diabetic; Epithelialization; Wounds.