Development and Characterization of Indomethacin Loaded Polyvinyl Alcohol-Collagen Smart Hydrogels for Burns Injuries

Hydrogels play a very important role in burns treatments, alone or in combination with other products, having the capacity to calm and moisturize the wound. Hydrogels are three – dimensional structures with interesting properties, having the ability to induce autolysis debridation, to absorb the exudates and to keep the moist of wound healing. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize some new composite materials based on collagen (COLL), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and indomethacin (IND), designed to be used for burns injuries and wound healing. Type I fibrillar collagen gel was extracted from calf hide. Indomethacin was added because of anti-inflammatory effect. Hydrogels with various ratios of collagen, PVA and indomethacin were rheologically tested. The collagenic supports obtained by hydrogels lyophilization were investigated by antimicrobial and cytotoxicity tests. The hydrogels presented a pseudoplastic behavior, and the Herschel-Bulkley model best fitted the rheological data. The biological properties, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial tests revealed the possibility of using them in medical application. Based on the hydrogels performance, we could conclude that the anti-inflammatory spongious matrices based on collagen and PVA are potentially usable for burn injuries and wound healing.