Ulvan/gelatin-based nanofibrous patches as a promising treatment for burn wounds

Burn wounds are among the most common skin injuries and, depending on the size and severity of the damage, they might be linked to considerable morbidity and mortality. Even though the healing process often takes place naturally, prolonged wound healing periods increase the risk for infections, often leading to chronic wounds. In order to prevent wound infection and improve the healing process, a number of wound dressings have been developed. Marine biopolymers, exhibiting high biocompatibility and biodegradability and lacking toxicity, have recently attracted considerable attention for the preparation of novel biomedical systems. In the present study, electrospun nanofibrous matrices composed of ulvan and marine gelatin in various combinations were designed, fabricated and characterized and their wound healing efficacy was evaluated on a second-degree burn model on the burn-inflamed skin of SKH-1 hairless mice. In addition, the potential synergistic effect of either hydrolyzed collagen or silver nanoparticles incorporated in ulvan-based nanofibers was assessed. Burn wound healing efficacy was evaluated by clinical assessment, histopathological analysis and measurement of parameters, including transepidermal water loss, hydration, skin thickness, wound area, texture and hemoglobin. The results of this study clearly show that patches composed of both ulvan and marine gelatin in appropriate ratio promote faster wound contraction during the early stages of the burn wound healing process, suppressing inflammation and achieving uniform wound closure, thus representing potentially efficient therapies for the treatment of burn wounds.