Biomaterial-based dressings as vehicle for chitosan-encapsulated cabreuva essential oil: Cytotoxicity and regenerative activity

Abstract

Chitosan-based emulsions functionalized with cabreuva essential oil (Myrocarpus fastigiatus) assembled with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were tailor-made to obtain a smooth, flexible and thin wound dressings capable for acting as a delivery vehicle. The cabreuva essential oil is composed mainly of trans-nerolidol, a natural compound with antimicrobial capacity that acts as a skin penetration enhancer. During the application of the dressing on skin explants, the penetration profile of cabreuva was analyzed through ex-vivo diffusion assays. Furthermore, the in-vivo essential oil delivery was followed by means of ATR-FTIR.The addition of chitosan-based emulsions produced modifications in the properties of the composite dressings associated with the water affinity and gas permeability as well as in the mechanical behavior. The dressing functionalized with cabreuva essential oil combined with chitosan proved its effectiveness against microorganisms such as S. aureus and S. epidermidis, capacity to produce cell regeneration after 24 h of contact time, and no cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells. The material developed could be used in superficial burns or minor wounds such as dressings due to its demonstrated functionality as controlled release devices of the cabreuva essential oil.