An alginate-Based tube gel delivering 2-deoxy-D-ribose for stimulation of wound healing.

Developing multifunctional wound dressings capable of inducing rapid angiogenesis and with antibacterial activity would be attractive for diabetic and superficial wound healing. Hydrogels delivered from tubes have several desirable features -they are easy to apply, keep the wound moist, reduce the entry of microorganisms and avoid the need for painful dressing removal. Previously we reported that 2 deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR) delivered from a variety of dressings is capable of promoting wound healing by stimulating angiogenesis. Alginate hydrogels are an ideal vehicle to deliver a bioactive agent capable of promoting wound healing. In this study we developed and evaluated a tube hydrogel capable of delivering 2dDR with the aim of achieving a stable, convenient to administer and biologically effective wound treatment. Further, we included the stabilizer 2-phenoxy ethanol which provided antimicrobial activity. We synthesized hydrogels by the Green method, using simple mixing of sodium alginate, propylene glycol, 2-phenoxy ethanol and 2dDR in water. FTIR (Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy) analysis confirmed an absence of undesirable chemical changes in the gel components, and SEM images of the freeze-dried gels showed porous structures. When 2dDR alginate gel (2dDR-SA hydrogel) was placed in PBS at 37°C, almost 92% of 2dDR was released within 7 days. When tested on cultured cells, 2dDR-SA hydrogels did not inhibit metabolic activity or proliferation, achieving up to 90 and 98% of control respectively over 7 days. 2dDR-SA hydrogel also showed anti-bacterial activity against