Lutein–Acacia Nanoparticle-Loaded Alginate Hydrogel for Accelerated Wound Healing and Scar Reduction

Q: What problem does the LUT–ACC–SA nanoparticle-loaded hydrogel target in chronic wounds?

It targets persistent inflammation and oxidative stress that impair extracellular matrix remodelling. The approach aims to improve lutein delivery for faster healing and scar reduction.

Q: How was the hydrogel formulation prepared and optimised?

The LUT–ACC–SA system was made using ionic gelation. The nanoparticle system was optimised with a Box–Behnken design to tune particle size, zeta potential, and PDI.

Q: What biological outcomes were measured in vivo to evaluate healing?

Wound closure was tracked on days 3, 7, and 14. Tissue homogenates were analysed by ELISA for VEGF, TGF-β1, collagen I, and IL-6 to assess angiogenesis, matrix remodelling, and inflammation.

Aug 29, 2026

Uploaded by Miles

Chronic wounds persist due to long-term inflammation, oxidative stress, and defective extracellular matrix remodelling. Lutein offers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits but is limited by poor solubility and skin permeability. A lutein–acacia gum–sodium alginate nanoparticle-loaded hydrogel (LUT–ACC–SA) was engineered via ionic gelation and Box–Behnken optimisation for particle size, zeta potential, and PDI. The formulation was characterised by DSC, FT-IR, XRD, and SEM, and assessed for release, rheology, and stability. In rat full-thickness wounds, it accelerated closure, reduced IL-6, and increased VEGF, TGF-β1, and collagen I, supporting improved inflammation control, angiogenesis, and matrix remodelling.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages31

Reading Time1 h 18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Wound healing challenges and role of ROS

Limitations of lutein and rationale for nanocarrier hydrogels

Abstract

BioNanoScience (2026) 16:326 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s12668-026-02548-y](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12668-026-02548-y) RESEARCH Lutein–Acacia Nanoparticle-Loaded Alginate Hydrogel for Accelerated Wound Healing and Scar Reduction Samaa Abdullah1,2 · Samar Thiab1 · Abeer A. Altamimi3,5 · Alaa A. Al-Masud4 · Meshal Marzoog Al-Sharafa4 Received: 21 November 2025 / Accepted: 8 April 2026 / Published online: 30 April 2026 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026 Abstract Chronic wounds are a global health issue due to persistent inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired extracellular matrix remodelling. Lutein, a xanthophyll carotenoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, holds therapeutic promise but suffers from poor solubility and skin permeability. To overcome these limitations, a lutein–acacia gum–sodium alginate (LUT–ACC–SA) nanoparticle-loaded hydrogel was developed to enhance topical delivery and accelerate wound healing. Nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels were formulated via ionic gelation and optimised for particle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index. The statistically optimised nanogel system was developed using Box–Behnken design (1.0 mg/ mL LUT, 12.2 mg/mL ACC, 2.5% SA), which showed a particle size of 118.5 ± 3.2 nm, zeta potential of − 32.8 ± 1.1 mV, and PDI of 0.218 ± 0.01. Characterisation included DSC, FT-IR, XRD, and SEM. In vitro release, rheology, and stability were evaluated. In vivo, full-thickness excisional wounds in rats (n = 9/group) were treated with control, blank ACC–SAgel, LUT–SA gel, or LUT–ACC–SA nanoparticle-loaded hydrogel. Wound closure was assessed on days 3, 7, and 14, alongside ELISA analysis of VEGF, TGF-β1, collagen I, and IL-6 in tissue homogenates. The nanoparticle-loaded hydrogel group showed significantly faster healing: 41.6% ± 2.8 closure by day 3 and 99.6% ± 1.1 by day 14, compared to controls (p< 0.05–0.001) . It also markedly reduced IL-6 (19.6 ± 0.8 ng/mL) and increased VEGF (13.2 ± 0.7 ng/mL), TGF-β1 (24.6 ± 0.9 ng/mL), and collagen I (26.1 ± 0.9 ng/mL) . These findings support LUT–ACC–SA nanoparticle-loaded hydrogelas a promising wound-healing formulation through modulation of inflammation, angiogenesis, and matrix remodelling. Samaa Abdullah and Samar Thiab contributed equally to this work. 􀀍 Samaa Abdullah [abdullahtsamaa@gmail.com](abdullahtsamaa@gmail.com); [sa_abdallah@asu.edu.jo](sa_abdallah@asu.edu.jo) Samar Thiab [s_thiab@asu.edu.jo](s_thiab@asu.edu.jo) AbeerA. Altamimi [aaaltamimi@pnu.edu.sa](aaaltamimi@pnu.edu.sa) AlaaA. Al-Masud [aaalmasud@pnu.edu.sa](aaalmasud@pnu.edu.sa) [Meshal MarzoogAl-Sharafa](Meshal MarzoogAl-Sharafa) [mmalsharafa@pnu.edu.sa](mmalsharafa@pnu.edu.sa) 1 Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman 11937, Jordan 2 Innovative NanoBioTech & Translational Drug Delivery Research Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman 11937, Jordan 3 Natural and Health Sciences Research Centre, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia 4 Tissue banking section, Research department, Health Science Research Center, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 84428, Saudi Arabia 5 King Abdullah University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Graphical abstract Keywords Lutein nanoparticle-loaded hydrogel · Acacia gum · Sodium alginate · Wound healing · Anti-inflammatory · Angiogenesis 1 Introduction Lutein (LUT) (Fig. 1), a xanthophyll carotenoid, is widely recognised for its potent antioxidant activity and its protective role in ocular health. More recently, its therapeutic relevance in skin repair has garnered attention due to its ability to modulate inflammation, scavenge Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), and promote extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling [1] . Despite its lipophilic nature and high molecular weight (~ 568.88 g/mol), which favour

FAQs

What problem does the LUT–ACC–SA nanoparticle-loaded hydrogel target in chronic wounds?

It targets persistent inflammation and oxidative stress that impair extracellular matrix remodelling. The approach aims to improve lutein delivery for faster healing and scar reduction.

How was the hydrogel formulation prepared and optimised?

The LUT–ACC–SA system was made using ionic gelation. The nanoparticle system was optimised with a Box–Behnken design to tune particle size, zeta potential, and PDI.

What biological outcomes were measured in vivo to evaluate healing?

Wound closure was tracked on days 3, 7, and 14. Tissue homogenates were analysed by ELISA for VEGF, TGF-β1, collagen I, and IL-6 to assess angiogenesis, matrix remodelling, and inflammation.

Aug 29, 2026

Uploaded by Miles