Allicin-loaded chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol scaffolds as a potential wound dressing material to treat diabetic wounds: An in vitro and in vivo study

In the current study an Allicin delivering polymeric wound dressing was formulated using thermally induced phase separation method. Allicin was loaded into Chitosan/Polyvinyl Alcohol solution at weight ratios 3 %,5 %, and 10 % and then freeze-dried. The fabricated membrane's physiochemical and biological properties were assessed using scanning electron microscopy, cell viability assay, swelling capacity, mechanical strength, surface wettability, water vapor permeability, drug release profile, in vitro degradation, hemocompatibility, porosity measurement, microbial penetration assay, Anti-oxidant assay, and protein adsorption assay. According to cell MTT assay results, Chitosan/Polyvinyl Alcohol incorporated with 5 % Allicin had the highest cell viability compared with other formulations; therefore, this formulation was chosen for treating rat model of diabetic wounds. The results showed that the rats treated with Allicin loaded dressings exhibited 93.15 ± 6.38 % of wound closure after 14 days. In addition, this group showed 47.11 ± 3.67 μm of epithelial thickness and 72.31 ± 4.28% of collagen deposition at the end of 14th post-wounding. These values were significantly greater than that of Allicin-free dressings and control group, p value < 0.05. These preliminary results suggest potential applicability of Allicin loaded Chitosan/Polyvinyl Alcohol dressing in treating diabetic wounds in clinic.