Enhancement of wound healing by chitosan/hyaluronan polyelectrolyte membrane loaded with glutathione: in vitro and in vivo evaluations.

The inflammation of chronic wounds generally causes delaying their healing process. The present work aims to formulate a wound dressing polyelectrolyte membrane based on chitosan (Ch) and sodium hyaluronate (HA) loaded with glutathione (GSH). The membrane types (Ch/HA and Ch/HA/GSH) were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The material properties were further investigated using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Physical characteristics of the prepared membranes, such as wettability, surface roughness, and mechanical properties were determined by standard experimental methods. In vitro assays were used to evaluate the haemocompatibility, thrombogenicity, and cytotoxicity of the membranes. The wound healing examined using a standard rat model exhibited a progress at exploiting the Ch/HA/GSH-type membranes compared to a bicomponent Ch/HA membrane or a "dry" healing wound. Histological examination of the recovered skin confirmed the visual observations. In conclusion, in vivo study results assert that Ch/HA/GSH is a proper wound-dressing for healing the chronic skin wounds.