Produção e utilização de membranas à base de quitosana e cúrcuma no processo de reparação tecidual

Abstract

Tissue repair is a complex and dynamic pathophysiological process that involves distinct overlapping phases. In this context, biopolymers and natural extracts have been widely used in the development of new materials that favor the repair process. Chitosan and turmeric appear as an interesting alternative, as they have repair and antimicrobial properties, respectively. In the present work, membranes based on chitosan and turmeric were produced, characterized, and used for in vivo experiments with potential application for skin repair. The membranes were produced through the casting technique (evaporation of the solvent) of film formation, being produced membranes of chitosan 1% (m/v), chitosan mixed with glycerol 30% (m/m in relation to the mass of chitosan) and chitosan mixed with 30% glycerol + 1.5% turmeric (m/m in relation to chitosan mass). The characterizations of the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the membranes were made through measurements of absorption spectroscopy in the infrared region (FTIR), contact angle, thickness measurements and mechanical tests. Sustainable, homogeneous, and flexible membranes were obtained from all materials tested. The FTIR spectra show the main vibrational bands for chitosan and glycerol chemical groups, no band referring to turmeric was seen. Mechanical tests have shown that membranes containing glycerol are more flexible than those formed with pure chitosan. Membranes formed with glycerol and glycerol + turmeric are more hydrophilic compared to the membrane formed by pure chitosan. The results of the in vivo experiments show that the group that received the membrane of chitosan/glycerol 30%/turmeric 1.5% showed a statistically greater reduction in the injured area, as well as better results in the histological analysis, compared to the other experimental groups. The material developed here, from a natural source, low cost and easy to apply, capable of accelerating the process of repairing skin lesions, constitutes a contribution in the current literature.