Antibacterial and Wound Healing Effects of Chitosan-Silver Nanoparticle and Binahong (Anredera cordifolia) Gel Modified with Cinnamon Essential Oil

Abstract

Wound healing is a complex biological process that restores the skin structure to its original state following an injury. Improper wound treatment could lead to microbial infection. The extensive use of antibacterial drugs for the treatment of wound infections has encouraged the growth of multidrug-resistant bacteria, leading to the development of serious opportunistic infections. The use of gel formulations containing cinnamon essential oil (CEO) can prevent microbial infection and fascilitates wound healing. This study is aimed at evaluating the antibacterial activity of chitosan (Chit)-silver nanoparticle (AgNp), and binahong leaf extract (BLE) gel modified with CEO against Staphylococcus aureus, and to investigate the gel’s wound healing effect. The gel was formulated with CEO in different concentrations; 9, 7, 5, 3, 1, and 0% (without CEO). The physicochemical properties of the different formulations, including odour, colour, texture, homogeneity, pH, and spreadability. were assessed. The antibacterial and wound healing activities of the gel formulations were investigated in Staphylococcus aureus infected excision wound in Wistar rats. The gel modified with CEO has an average pH ranging from 4.53 to 5.16 and an average spreadability of 5.24 to 5.33 cm. The gel formulations at an optimum concentration of 7% CEO show significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with inhibition zone diameter of 19.5 mm. Histologically, gel formulations with CEO were found to exhibit significant wound healing effect. Overall, the results from the study suggest that gels formulated with CEO have the potential to be used as an alternative treatment for wound infection.