Photo-Phytotherapeutic Gel Composed of <i>Copaifera reticulata,</i> Chlorophylls, and <i>k-</i>Carrageenan: A New Perspective for Topical Healing
Katieli da Silva Souza Campanholi,
Ranulfo Combuca da Silva Junior,
Renato Sonchini Gonçalves,
Mariana Carla de Oliveira,
Magali Soares dos Santos Pozza,
Angela Tiago Leite,
Leandro Herculano da Silva,
Luis Carlos Malacarne,
Marcos Luciano Bruschi,
Leandro Dalcin Castilha,
Tatiana Carlesso dos Santos,
Wilker Caetano
Affiliations
Katieli da Silva Souza Campanholi
Chemistry Department, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
Ranulfo Combuca da Silva Junior
Chemistry Department, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
Renato Sonchini Gonçalves
Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Products, Department of Chemistry, Center for Exact Sciences and Technology, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, MA, Brazil
Mariana Carla de Oliveira
Laboratory of Research and Development of Drug Delivery Systems, Department of Pharmacy, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
Magali Soares dos Santos Pozza
Department of Animal Science, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
Angela Tiago Leite
Laboratory of Research and Development of Drug Delivery Systems, Department of Pharmacy, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
Leandro Herculano da Silva
Department of Physics, Federal Technological University of Paraná, Medianeira, 85884-000, PR, Brazil
Luis Carlos Malacarne
Physics Department, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
Marcos Luciano Bruschi
Laboratory of Research and Development of Drug Delivery Systems, Department of Pharmacy, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
Leandro Dalcin Castilha
Department of Animal Science, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
Tatiana Carlesso dos Santos
Department of Animal Science, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
Wilker Caetano
Chemistry Department, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
Chronic wound healing represents an impactful financial burden on healthcare systems. In this context, the use of natural products as an alternative therapy reduces costs and maintains effectiveness. Phytotherapeutic gels applied in photodynamic therapy (PDT) have been developed to act as topical healing medicines and antibiotics. The bioactive system is composed of Spirulina sp. (source of chlorophylls) and Copaifera reticulata oil microdroplets, both incorporated into a polymeric blend constituted by kappa-carrageenan (k-car) and F127 copolymer, constituting a system in which all components are bioactive agents. The flow behavior and viscoelasticity of the formulations were investigated. The photodynamic activity was accessed from studies of the inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, the main pathogen of hospital relevance. Furthermore, in vivo studies were conducted using eighteen rabbits with dermatitis (grade III and IV) in both paws. The gels showed significant antibiotic potential in vitro, eliminating up to 100% of S. aureus colonies in the presence or absence of light. The k-car reduced 41% of the viable cells; however, its benefits were enhanced by adding chlorophyll and copaiba oil. The animals treated with the phytotherapeutic medicine showed a reduction in lesion size, with healing and re-epithelialization verified in the histological analyses. The animals submitted to PDT displayed noticeable improvement, indicating this therapy’s viability for ulcerative and infected wounds. This behavior was not observed in the iodine control treatment, which worsened the animals’ condition. Therefore, gel formulations were a viable alternative for future pharmaceutical applications, aiming at topical healing.
