The purpose of this study was to develop a minocycline-loaded wound dressing with an enhanced healing effect. The cross-linked hydrogel films were prepared with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitosan using the freeze-thawing method. Their gel properties, in vitro protein adsorption, release, in vivo wound healing effect and histopathology were then evaluated. Chitosan decreased the gel fraction, maximum strength and thermal stability of PVA hydrogel, while it increased the swelling ability, water vapour transmission rate, elasticity and porosity of PVA hydrogel. Incorporation of minocycline (0.25%) did not affect the gel properties, and chitosan hardly affected drug release and protein adsorption. Furthermore, the minocycline-loaded wound dressing composed of 5% PVA, 0.75% chitosan and 0.25% drug was more swellable, flexible and elastic than PVA alone because of relatively weak cross-linking interaction of chitosan with PVA. In wound healing test, this minocycline-loaded PVA-chitosan hydrogel showed faster healing of the wound made in rat dorsum than the conventional product or the control (sterile gauze) due to antifungal activity of chitosan. In particular, from the histological examination, the healing effect of minocycline-loaded hydrogel was greater than that of the drug-loaded hydrogel, indicating the potential healing effect of minocycline. Thus, the minocycline-loaded wound dressing composed of 5% PVA, 0.75% chitosan and 0.25% drug is a potential wound dressing with excellent forming and enhanced wound healing.
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