Formulation of pangasianodon hypophthalmus (ikan patin) collagen/pva hydrogel loaded with curcumin nanoparticles for wound healing / Md Shaekh Forid

Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology

Thesis (Master of Science) -- Universiti Malaysia Pahang - 2025

Includes bibliographical references

Effective wound healing remains a critical challenge in global healthcare, as conventional dressings often fail to provide optimal healing conditions and can cause discomfort, irritation, and delayed recovery. Hydrogels have emerged as a promising agent for wound care but commercial availability of bioactive drug-loaded hydrogels remains limited. Curcumin, known for its multifaceted pharmacological properties, faces challenges in topical applications due to poor solubility and limited skin permeability. Additionally, concerns regarding the use of collagen in hydrogel fabrication, such as disease transmission from bovine and porcine sources and issues of religious acceptability have prompted the exploration of alternative collagen sources. To address these limitations, curcumin nanoparticles (CNPs) were prepared using antisolvent precipitation method and incorporated into a hydrogel composed of collagen extracted from Pangasianodon hypophthalmus fish skin and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The prepared CNPs had a size of 118.20 nm and cell viability assays revealed that a dose of 500 μg/mL was the safest dose. The swelling behavior of the hydrogels was pH-dependent, with the highest observed 1304-1337% at pH 5.4. In vitro biodegradation studies showed 50-60% degradation at different pH over 14 days, confirming their degradability. Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) measurements of the CNPs-loaded hydrogel (2216.68 ± 65.37 g/m²/day) aligned with the ideal range of 2000 to 2500 g/m²/day for wound dressings. The CNPs-loaded hydrogel exhibited 59.32 ± 3.34% porosity and demonstrated good mechanical properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the purity of the CNPs-loaded hydrogel. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed a porous and interconnected structure in the collagen/PVA hydrogel, with a heterogenous structure observed after the incorporation of CNPs. Cell viability assays on 3T3-L1 cells showed that hydrogels containing CNPs at concentration of 15.62 μg/ml, 31.25 μg/ml and 62.5 μg/ml exhibited over 85% cell viability, indicating good biocompatibility. In vitro wound healing assessments via wound scratch assay on 3T3-L1 cell line demonstrated 95% wound closure at a concentration of 62.5 μg/ml CNPs-loaded hydrogel, significantly higher compared to native collagen/PVA hydrogel of 79%. Ex-vivo skin penetration studies revealed that 49.78±1.37% of the drug penetrated within 72 hours. Drug release kinetics followed the Korsmeyer Peppas model (R² = 0.944). Furthermore, CNPs-loaded hydrogel at a concentration of 62.5 μg/ml significantly increased TGF-β1 expression and decreased MMP-9 expression, suggesting a favorable effect on the wound healing process. These findings indicate that the developed CNPs-loaded hydrogel holds significant potential as an advanced wound dressing by promoting a favorable biological response for effective wound healing. However, further in vivo studies are required to validate its efficacy.