Abstract
Wound healing is a complex biological process influenced by oxidative stress, inflammation, and cytokine activity. Current treatments are costly, inefficient, and often result in scarring. This study evaluates the wound healing potential of curcumin-loaded Pluronic® (PF) nanoformulation, NanoCUR, by assessing its antioxidant capacity, cytotoxicity, and effects on inflammatory cytokines in vitro. NanoCUR was synthesized by thin-film hydration method and was further characterized. The antioxidant capacity of NanoCUR was assessed using FRAP assay, while its cytotoxicity was evaluated in 3T3-NIH fibroblast cells. The wound healing property was determined through migration assay, and the IL-6 and TNF-α levels were monitored in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells by cytokine cytometry bead array (CBA). TNF-α expression was analyzed via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). NanoCUR was successfully synthesized, producing nanoparticles with uniform morphology, high encapsulation efficiency (96.39%), and improved aqueous solubility. At 100 µM and 150 µM, NanoCUR exhibited enhanced antioxidant activity (6.78- and 3.89-% fold increment) compared to CUR respectively. Reduced toxicity of NanoCUR (20.63 µM) was observed in 3T3-NIH fibroblasts with higher LC₅₀ values than CUR (14.16 µM) at 72h post treatment. NanoCUR enhanced fibroblast migration and wound closure by 1.45%, achieving complete wound closure at 5 μM within 72h, surpassing CUR. NanoCUR also demonstrated effective modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, reducing IL-6 and TNF-α levels, with suppression of TNF-α expression, supporting NanoCUR’s anti-inflammatory mechanism at 5 µM and 10 µM. Collectively, the findings in the present study indicate that NanoCUR has improved antioxidant activity, biocompatibility, and cellular responses in vitro, which could serve as a fundamental basis to develop NanoCUR as a wound healing treatment.
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